Part 1: Post-Build questions…

So the questions post Build I seem to get asked the most by .Net programmers are as follows:

• Why bother to build Windows Apps in higher level languages now and what’s the value in even doing a full Windows platform app if Windows Metro Apps can be outsourced to cheap labor since they are now HTML 5/JavaScript.. What is my value as a .Net programmer over an HTML 5 Web developer now..
• Didn’t Microsoft throw me under a bus because now my value versus an HTML /JavaScript programmer really isn’t there now.. Why bother with C# or C++
• My IT manager is making all of us .NET programmers learn web programming and get away from .NET projects and I am having to learn how to package an HTML5/JS app for Google’s Web Apps now as well as Microsoft’s new Windows 8, though he’s not even sure we’ll continue to do Windows due to it’s lacking market share behind Google and Apple even a year after Windows Phone 7.
• I am a C# .NET or and C++ developer. How do I compete with a kid in some third world country who will quote and do an HTML/JS app for windows cheaper than I can do my .NET version of the app.. Should I be learning Google Chrome app development or iOS because Apple and Google have a bigger mobile market share ?
• Why does Blend for HTML 5 only support Photoshop import ? Where is the resolution independence I have come to expect and canvas support in XAML.. (It may be coming, with SVG and CANVAS, time will tell) and where is web drag and drop data binding and sample XML data sources ?
• My school just adopted Google Apps and is starting to teach Chrome development and strict web only.. Microsoft is being cut out yet again..

So the question that Microsoft isn't bothering to answer with this is what good are .NET programmers in a world where a lower level scripting unstructured (compared to C and others) language like JavaScript is taking center stage as the NEW programming language for Windows Apps.

Sure the higher level languages are still there, but the phone and tablet numbers put Microsoft in third or fourth place behind Apple iOS and Google and Apple ahead on these numbers and not slowing down, will people bother to do more than write an HTML 5/JavaScript adaption (if they even do that) of their products as a Windows App anymore ?

Quote anonymous  “Why even package this just let it run in the browser”. In the new market where outsourcing HTML/JavaScript is cheap to do, will anyone bother making a "REAL (non HTML/JS)" WinRT app anymore ?? Why would anyone pay the extra money to do a more custom more powerful Windows App (and is it really more powerful now or just me too ?)

Many .NET developers feel Microsoft threw out the baby with the bath with WinRT. Not because  WinRT isn’t innovative and a great move forward at the API level, but when you can package HTML and JavaScript as a "Windows App" who will bother to do anything else especially in a higher level language. What advantages are there ?

Has Microsoft really protected it's core .NET programmers livelihoods with the new version or have they undercut their developers to favor cheap HTML5/JavaScript outsourcing of code and design ? Only time will tell.. Not looking good that Windows as a “developer” platform will stay around much with HTML 5/JS/CSS taking over there..

Part 2 Coming soon..
Topic:  Windows 8 not built for keyboard and mouse users.. Eroding the base user experience for enterprise who isn’t into touch and don’t want to retrain workers how to use the “Windows” key or start menu.. (Or: you thought 1000 secretaries hated the change to the Office Ribbon, here come Metro Keyboard equivalents and Ribbon everywhere on even the classic desktop..

Part 3 Coming soon..
Google and Apple Marketing go on the offensive: Windows used to be special now they look just like us and there are no advantages and their UI is more inconsistent than Vista when switching between desktop and metro.. Are you lost in your apps and where you are ?

The new platform diagram… It’s really obvious that besides supporting the old stuff that XAML and HTML 5 are first class citizens.. I told folks months ago they had nothing to worry about..

Expression Blend 5 Supports HTML 5 and XAML both.. Boy is this a big surprise..NOT!

Windows “App” Store/ Marketplace
Looks just like Windows Phone 7.,.. Big surprise there.. I really hope Windows 8 apps can be still sold separately and installed without this feature..

I wonder just how real the Quicken thing is here..

Immersive Internet Explorer 9/10

Web software runs just like an full fledged app, again the same stuff we see on Windows Phone next release..

Write once in .NET Deploy in the browser,

In all just a few lines of code.. SAME UI and User Experience

Set it to launch on whatever environment it’s running on..

Enable new Search

The same Metrostyle App ported from Silverlight to Windows 8 Platform making the round trip back to Windows Phone with the same code..

New Desirable Features

METRO APPS don’t work on NETBOOK resolutions with the new INTERFACE you need at least 1024x768 resolution display to have the new interface functional (at a minimum otherwise you get the previous windows desktop..

Windows 8 Tablets supports a new API called Sensor Fusion which makes it easy to read the gyro  Accelerometer and Magnetometers.. There is also a Near Field Communication sensor that allows you to share information between machines securely (including files over SMARTCARD like devices)..

Support for 3G and 4G devices with metered data plans so you can track and have full control over your data usage. So no syncing large amounts of data without your full permission..

Gee more macbook air clones called Ultrabooks.. Still love my Samsung Series 9 notebook, which has all these features already under Windows 7 including instant on and restoration of system files automatically. Samsung apparently helped Microsoft with these features..

My Samsung notebook tore apart on stage apparently..

The Samsung Developer Tablet given away to all 5000 attendees..

No it’s not an ARM, and has the same specs as the Samsung Series 9 notebook I have minus the pen, touch screen and sensors..

Using this feature already in it’s Windows format on my Samsung Series 9 corei5 notebook.. Can I pick a notebook or what

Sinofsky’s Start Menu

Hyper-V and Virtual Machines are Built into Windows 8

The new classic explorer interface is growing on me..

The new multi-monitor interface is much improved..

Elevated Permissions (admin) is now a check box..

Live Sync of Desktops (remote)

IE 10 Shines

Pretty Cool all in all.. But is there any real reason I have heard so far for me not to go out and buy that cheap google chrome tablet or Apple Ipad/  Or Google Chromebook if indeed this comes to pass what is the benefit of buying Microsoft.. It seems just a little bit “me too” for the next version of Windows.

It still seems like we are putting to bed a lot of the features of Windows for an HTML 5 browser environment where Windows will come out to play once in a while..

This seems to be too ME TOO… We’ll see if these numbers improve and there is a reason why I shouldn’t go to Apple and buy “App Store” apps there.. Or Chrome Web Apps which are already embedded in many businesses and educational institutions..

I still believe Microsoft is blowing it’s advantage with the PC by not touting .NET applications over the HTML 5 ones.. They could run anywhere, where Windows desktop and .NET apps are home only one place and are generally more powerful than their web equivalents..

Will these numbers continue to decline ? Lot of ME too today and not a lot of insight.. As far as Windows running on any form factor.. Does it really need to ? A separate keyboard and a touch screen is kind of over rated for me, as I go to clean off my two year old iPad’s screen and my HP TouchSmart computer’s All In One Display..

We still need a keyboard and mouse for effective input. Most people don’t word process and run office apps  as a main activity on their  Apple iPad or iPhone. After owning two touch screen computers I am happy to have a machine with a keyboard a muti-gesture touchpad mouse control that’s as thin as the iPad 2 and Core i5..

I still have questions about this and the UI departure is so great only time will tell with the public when it’s out there and if Apple and Google assault this UI like they did Windows Vista..

The Evolution of Windows
Even with the scalability and GPU computing demo with 5 graphics cards with Direct Compute..

Today felt like we were here:

Versus Here

in terms of user experience..

Shouldn’t we be here  at least ?

 

It’s interesting that after I posted this the first time with opinion my ISP gave me this error after about 3 minutes.. After I sent in a trouble ticket it was within nanoseconds back up..