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All eyes on Windows 7

Jon DeVaan and Steven Sinofsky have started blogging about Windows 7 and they want your questions.  Here's mine:

Part of the role of the OS is to both provide infrastructure and show leadership in UI design. Unfortunately, we haven't seen much from Windows, other than the Windows common controls and a few Vista design guidelines.

Microsoft Office (both Office XP and 2007), not Windows, has really set the standard for how applications should interact with users. Doesn't this leadership role belong to Windows?

Do you plan to make Windows 7 a platform for building applications with an awesome, consistent user interface?

August 14 2008 - Link -  - 

The never-ending lobbying circus

Earlier this week Office Open XML (OOXML) was voted an ISO Standard by 86% of the voting countries. Having the world's most popular document format become an ISO standard will obviously enhance the interoperability and longevity of office documents.

Soon a new wave of competing applications will fully support Office Open XML. Everyone involved - including and especially Microsoft - will be required to follow the standard to the letter. No wonder 86% voted to approve it!

OOXML is not the only open document standard: OpenDocument, the native file format of OpenOffice, was approved as an ISO standard two years ago. Sun and IBM have argued that OpenDocument should be the only ISO document standard. These are the companies that have relentlessly lobbied governments under the banner of consumer choice.

Unfortunately, many OpenDocument supporters have no intention of accepting the ISO process and the will of the overwhelming majority. They intend to do everything possible to make sure consumers have no choice of open standards. They're calling for government investigations, repealing the vote, allegations of corruption, you get the idea.

Wouldn't we all be better off if they would focus on creating value for their customers instead of lobbying governments to harm their competitors? Isn't it much better to compete by building more innovative products, doing more original marketing, and taking better care of your customers?

For a more in depth look at the hypocrisy behind this, check out this thoughtful post by Jan van den Beld, former Secretary General of the ECMA standards body. The last paragraph nails it.

April 04 2008 - Link -  - 

Computer Languages Keep Getting Better

I have rediscovered Martin Heller's writings, and I really enjoy his thoughts. One of his recent columns is on computer languages.

For the last two years or so I have really enjoyed Ruby. So much, in fact, that I may have become a Ruby-snob. For the first time in my life I look down on other languages and I get seriously annoyed when I have to use Java, VB, C#, etc. Thoughts like "this would be so much easier|more readable|shorter|etc. in Ruby" keeping going through my mind.

The other interesting thing is that my experience with dynamic languages like Ruby reminds me of the thoughts I had when I first learned C++: "This OO stuff is a bunch of hot air - you can do the exact same thing in C with function pointers". Well, that may be true but you can do it a lot easier, shorter, etc. in C++ (and now even more elegant in Java and C#). That's how I feel about Ruby, and it applies in many aspects of the language.

I very much like Martin's insight about learning one language making you better in another language. Pascal made me a better Basic programmer. C++ made me a better C programmer. Ruby made me a better C# programmer.

Finally... there are languages you learn, and languages you actually use to write a significant piece of software in. My favorite column of all time is "Exotic Language of the Month". I don't remember if it was in Computer Language magazine or in DDJ. Someone should do a blog like that.

December 22 2007 - Link -  - 

iPhone: you had me at hello

Sure, I had read the blogs, viewed the online demos, and watched the hype storm. Based on all that, my impression was that the iPhone was a very nice, well-done first generation Apple product. Today I walked into the Cingular store to check out the iPhone. WOW! I was blown away.

There are no words to describe the experience. I feel like I stepped into the future. It feels so natural. It's the first time in my life that software - pixels on the screen - actually feels like a real object. I've used tablet PCs and other devices, but this is totally different. The flicking your finger to scroll, the pinch for zoom, the super-resolution of the screen. It all adds up to an experience that was almost surreal.

Having said all that, I am NOT buying one right now. (I know, it's hard) Why? It *is* a first generation product and I'm willing to wait six months (seems like Eternity right now) for a model that has GPS and real 3G, and 16GB. On the software side, I want push email, WiFi calling (like T-Mobile Hotspot@Home), and over-the-air Calendar and Contacts sync. It's a good thing they didn't have them in stock or I might not have been able to resist the temptation...

July 03 2007 - Link -  - 

Nice compliment for LINQ

Chad Fowler one of the leaders of the Rails community writes on twitter:

"Just sat down with Scott Guthrie and got a demo of the latest in LINQ. It really does make a Rails developer jealous."

Now that's a compliment!

 

June 23 2007 - Link -  - 

Google lives 30,000 feet above the platform wars

Scoble speculates about Google and Silverlight:

" I can see Microsoft coming at Google with a raft of stuff built on top of Silverlight. For end users at home it'll look slicker, feel better, and have far better video quality than anything Google can throw at Windows users with YouTube/Flash/etc. "

Robert, Silverlight is the best thing that could ever happen to Google: It validates and empowers their vision of the web as the new application platform. Google doesn't care whether you run IE or Firefox to check your mail, watch videos, or click on adwords.

Google will fully embrace Silverlight across the board, while continuing to support other technolgies. That's what they're doing now: they support old browsers, they take advantage of AJAX, they have native Windows and Mac apps and they use flash. They'll use whatever technology gets the job done. Good for them, and good for all of us.

May 01 2007 - Link -  - 

Silverlight's biggest challenge

TechCrunch nails it:

" Microsoft have a battle on their hands to convince the developer and designer communities that their platform is the best platform, but most of this convincing won't be a technical showdown but rather the establishment of trust between users and Microsoft as the vendor of this new platform. "

May 01 2007 - Link -  - 

Silverlight for Linux

Miguel de Icaza is excited about porting Silverlight to Linux:

"In fact, am kind of happy that Microsoft did not do the port themselves as implementing this sounds incredibly fun and interesting."

May 01 2007 - Link -  - 

Twitter for your thoughts

Following Martin Varsavsky's lead, I've started using Twitter, not to keep track of what I'm doing (which seems very boring), but to track random thoughts and ideas. Visit twitter.com/mikesax or subscribe to the rss feed.

April 30 2007 - Link -  - 

Life is precious

Via Robert Scoble and Thomas Hawk, a link to this very touching Pulitzer Prize-winning photo essay.

April 19 2007 - Link -  - 

When ratings trump citizenship

The fact that the Virginia Tech killer sent a media packet to NBC makes it very clear that getting media attention was at least part of the motive. 

So why are the news networks rewarding these crimes by giving this guy a forum? The answer is obviously ratings and money. 

Yes, I believe that the public has the right to have access to this information, but this should be treated as evidence, not propaganda. Will these news directors feel in any way responsible when copy-cat crimes start happening?

April 18 2007 - Link -  - 

Stop the Software Wars

My op-ed piece about Open Source vs. Commercial Software has been published by Oregon Business Magazine.

March 29 2007 - Link -  - 

You're either on or off the (RSS)bus

/n Software has built a very interesting new product called "RSSbus".  It does two things:

1. RSSbus turns business data (FedEx tracking, file system info, SQL data, Amazon, QuickBooks info etc.) into RSS feeds.
2. It lets you combine and process these feeds into new feeds that do exactly what you want.

The result is something very powerful, open and simple. Because it's all based on RSS, the integration possibilities with existing applications and websites are endless. Here's a video and the free desktop version.

March 23 2007 - Link -  - 

Life

John Backus was the B in BNF and leader of the team that invented Fortran, the first high-level computer language. He received the Turing Award and the National Medal of Science. He died a few days ago in his home in Ashland, Oregon at age 82.

I met John about two years ago and we got to know each other pretty well. Except, it wasn't until I read his obituary in the New York Times that I realized he was a computer science legend. Over the years I've spent countless hours looking over Backus-Naur Form specifications for different languages, and only today did I realize that the Backus in BNF referred to John's last name.

However great a computer scientist John was, he was an even more stellar human being. I loved how he looked at the world, including himself. He helped me realize a few things about life that will stay with me for as long as I live. I love you John, and I'll miss you.

March 20 2007 - Link -  - 

Books and Fairness

There has been some controversy over books. Google is scanning and indexing everything they can get their hands on, Microsoft is only scanning works with expired copyright or works it obtained permission for. 

Dave Winer has posted some very thoughtful comments about the issue.

Google is playing of the Fair Use card and it reminds me of Napster. We used to have a some very reasonable fair use conventions before Napster came along, claiming that massive copying was all just fair use.

The end result was an intense and very effective lobbying effort by the recording industry that significantly increased the restrictions on music. Google's attitude risks putting us in the same bind with the printed word, which would be a very tragic outcome.

March 06 2007 - Link -  - 

Words of Wisdom

Mr. Rails offers some good advice:

" Treat cute, clever, and cool as spices. [They] are are all important ingredients in a delicious application experience. But often their role is over- or understated. Too much and it's hard to stomach, too little and it's all bland. "

March 05 2007 - Link -  - 

The WOW starts now...

... as in "WOW, I can't believe this is it after five years". During the past few weeks I have been having TONS of Vista problems, related to display drivers, docking, and power management.

Two months ago, Jim Allchin made a promise:

" With Windows Vista there won't be any more sinking feelings when the airplane is at 10,000 feet and you reached into your laptop bag to find the laptop all cozy and warm because it didn't go into power saving mode when you were running for the plane -- caused because some device, service, or application wasn't well behaved. "

Well, I've had that sinking feeling almost every day during the past two weeks, courtesy of Windows Vista, using various permutations of the latest drivers from Microsoft and hardware vendors. Other times, my Thinkpad's LCD display remained black, even though I could see all the lights flashing and I could cause a beep typing on the keyboard. Opening and closing my laptop is now an experience filled with more stress and suspense than a Hitchcock movie. 

The web is filled with reports from experienced power users who are experiencing similar problems using the final (non-beta) version of Vista. Some have given up already.

Our only hope that Steven Sinofsky, who led the Office division through a most excellent release of Office 2007, has replaced Jim Allchin to take charge of Windows. A miracle service pack release would be most welcome.

March 02 2007 - Link -  - 

Get your iPhone today

This is funny.

Update: Well, I guess Apple lawyers didn't share my sense of humor. The screenshot of a PocketPC with iPhone welcome screen was removed at Apple's request.

January 12 2007 - Link -  - 

Sloppy business practices at Apple

First there was the stock options problem.  Now Cisco is sueing apple over the iPhone trademark. Apparently, when Apple and Cisco couldn't reach a final agreement the night before the keynote, Steve Jobs decided to call Cisco's bluff and pretend Apple was fully entitled to call its new product the iPhone. Shareholders should be concerned and the board should reprimand Jobs for this. Shame, shame shame.

January 10 2007 - Link -  - 

A few original Macworld predictions

Macworld Expo is only five days away, and here are a few predictions.  Many of these I have not seen anywhere else, so I'm curious how many of them will come true:

1. MacPhone will not ship for several months and will look like a long, slim full-screen iPod. First model will be GSM based. It will have a touch screen interface with controls around the edges and content in the middle. Focus will be on music, multimedia IM, and voice. MacPhone Pro will not be announced until a few months from now, with a focus on business uses such as email, todos, and calendars.
2. iLife and .Mac updates go hand-in-had to position them as a beautiful, tasteful MySpace. Easy sharing of pictures, videos, voice notes, wikis, and blogs. Mac owners will use iLife to create great-looking content effortlessly. Non-mac owners will have full viewing access and, by comparison, very limited content creation capabilities. Also: effortless content synching on mobile devices such as MacPhones and iPods, including calendars, blogs, and pictures. Think of .Mac as iTunes with content by you.
3. iTV will ship very soon and will NOT include any intelligence or storage other than for caching (to keep the price low, and let iTunes do all the hard work on the Mac). Think of iTV as a Video Airport Express and iTunes where all the action is, delivering content to your device of choice: iPhone, iPod, TV, or Mac. Possible names for iTV: Airport/AV, Airport Video, Teleport, VideoPort.
4. Google partnership announcement to deliver Youtube and/or Google videos to both iTV and possibly iTunes/iPods. Google mail and calendar will not be included in the partnership and will continue to compete with .Mac.
5. Boot Camp update supports Vista but will stay away from virtualization. Why? because it comes with too many support issues and device and driver issues make it inherently impossible to deliver a flawless customer experience. There may be a ROM update that lets you switch in a few seconds between Mac and Bootcamp, essentially hibernating either OSX or Windows.
6. iWork: Aside from full support for Office 2007 file formats and a new spreadsheet app, the big focus will be on collaboration. Pages will have much better team features, including much-better-than-Word revision-marking. The new Keynote will make hosting presentations on .Mac effortless, either live or recorded.
7. New hardware: Two new models: a smaller MacBook Pro, and a bigger Macbook. New LCD monitors with built-in iSight and, possibly, microphones (yes, that's plural).
8. Leopard: Much better integration of Mail, Contacts, and iCal. Very innovative parental controls, also for teenagers. Better use of functional animation, including wobbly windows. Safari bookmarks become much richer, focusing on the content of pages, rather than their URLs. iChat will be able to call landlines, and your MacPhone will also function as a blue-tooth headset for your Mac, so you can use iChat without using cellphone minutes.

Wishful thinking? Only time (as in, five days) will tell...

 

January 05 2007 - Link -  - 

OpenXML: the adoption papers are signed

Microsoft today signed away custody of its third-born child: All the file formats for Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are now under the custody of ECMA, an independent standards body. ECMA has accepted custody by declaring OpenXML an official ECMA standard and has gone one step further by putting OpenXML on a fast track to be approved as an ISO standard.

What does this mean? It means no single company controls the internal format office documents. There no long is an internal format, it's all open and available for anyone. Microsoft doesn't control the standard any more than Adobe, IBM, Novell, Apple, or any other company.

Why would Microsoft sign away custody of its third-born child and second-biggest cash cow? (my apologies to all children and cows for mixing metaphors here) OpenXML certainly gives Office competitors a big opportunity to more powerful and user-friendly products that inter-operate 100% flawlessly with Office. So what's in it for Microsoft?

First, as an truly open standard, the the Office XML file format (ie: OpenXML) become a standard, a platform for building more powerful applications. So we'll see a whole new wave of innovative applications built on top of this standard. From Wiki-companies to SAP and Salesforce.com, everyone can now add value and deeply integrate with OpenXML.

One of the most exciting apsects of OpenXML is that you can extend the format by embedding your own application-specific XML in it. At first they may seem counterintuitive: If companies can put their own extensions in OpenXML documents, doesn't that take away from the openness of the standard? And the answer is no, quite the opposite: because even if you embed your own data in a format, that data will simply be ignored and handled gracefully by other applications.

The second way Microsoft may benefit from this is that it really blows away the Open Document Format (ODF is the Open Office XML format). ODF will continue to exist as Open Office's native file format, and there will always be an army of open source purists who will have nothing to do with anything that originated from Microsoft.

ODF's biggest weakness is that it was built from inside Open Office without much regard for exact backward compatibility with older Office documents. While a ODF's 90% compatibility solution may have been good enough for some, that last 10% can be very, very annoying to customers. So for a while, both ODF and OpenXML will exist and ultimately the end-users will decide which standard comes on top. My guess is that they will prefer the backward compatibility of OpenXML, especially if companies like Adobe and Apple start building applications that compete with Office.

I am not sure if anyone really realizes how big this is for end-users. It means interoperability between competing applications. It means preservation under an open standard of all the information stored in literally billions and billions of documents. And it means deep integration with non-office applications in new, innovative ways. This is bigger than the Web 2.0.

December 07 2006 - Link -  - 

What really matters about Novell - Microsoft

The Novell-Microsoft agreement has generated lots of buzz in our industry. Analysts, bloggers, and journalists are all speculating on the wider implications, the strategic impact, what it all means, and the deal has even spawned a conspiracy theory or two. While playing these kinds of fantasy games may be lots of fun, I frankly don't really care to join the ideological debate. What I do care about are the practical implications for my business.

How does this agreement affect my business? Without hesitation, I can say that the impact is 100% positive. Like many businesses, we have a foot in both worlds, relying on both proprietary and open source software. When two giants from separate worlds decide that it's time to do what's right for their mutual customers, I believe that is a Very Good Thing. I don't have to worry about getting caught between finger-pointing support agents or law-suits that impact the products I use. I can choose the best tool for the job. As a customer, I'll always choose companies who choose innovation over litigation.

Check the ACT blog for more interest commentary.

November 13 2006 - Link -  - 

Three days older, three months wiser

I just got back from the Pragmatic Studio Ruby on Rails Workshop in Portland. Dave Thomas and Mike Clark do the impossible: they take forty developers with very diverse backgrounds on a journey of discovery into the Rails framework, leaving nobody behind and everybody more than satisfied.

The bits used - those of Rails 1.1.2 - were less than 24 hours old when the workshop started.  The material was incredibly up to date, and no question went unanswered. Looking back, the amount of material covered in just three days is quite amazing. Yet, it never felt rushed and the workshop was filled with hands-on lab-time that made everyone feel empowered.

Forty thumbs up! Highly recommended!

What's a Windows-head like me doing in a workshop about the latest greatest LAMP framework? More on that later...

April 12 2006 - Link -  - 

Very funny Mac/Vista video

Someone took the sound from a Windows Vista new features demonstration, and combined it with a demo of Mac OS X. Evangelism at its finest!  Available on Google Video.

April 02 2006 - Link -  - 

Innovation vs. Litigation

During the past two days I have been in Brussels, in a hearing room with more than one hundred lawyers arguing about whether Microsoft should be pay the largest fine in European history.

Two years ago, the European Commission decided that Microsoft should document Windows server products and make it easier for competitors to develop competing workgroup server products. Microsoft complied by developing over ten thousand pages of documentation, yet the Commission says this is not enough.

After a thorough review of the documentation, based on my experience working with protocols and specifications, I shared my findings at the hearing as testimony. The bottom line is that any competitor can start developing competing software right away with this documentation and, like all documentation used in the software industry, the only way to improve it beyond this point is to start a continuous feedback and enhancement process that involves developers who actively use this documentation.

As a software developer I can't help but think how much more productive it would be if we would replace all these lawyers with software engineers. Technical issues are never going to be resolved with legal arguments.

I've been to many interoperability labs, where engineers from different companies forget that they're competitors and work on technical solutions that let their systems work together. As opposed to suits and ties, these developers are wearing shirts with Penguins, coffee cups, red hats, and Windows logos. There is usually an atmosphere of camaraderie and everyone is completely focused on the technical challenges.

The Commission seems to be on a quest for the holy grail of perfect documentation, focusing on the interests of a handful of (American) competitors, rather than European consumers. Fining someone two million Euros per day until they've presented the holy grail is both senseless and unproductive.

April 01 2006 - Link -  - 

Got components?

Sax.net, the company I founded ten years ago, develops tools and components for communications, scripting, and barcodes. We have thousands of happy customers. Many of them have used our components in mission-critical applications. If you have ideas for useful new components, please let me know.