Wow note the UI style above.. Familiar huh…
I was reading an article on the web about Microsoft’s ability to compete with the iPad..
http://jkontherun.com/2010/08/02/can-microsoft-compete-with-ipad-not-even-ballmer-knows
I believe it’s only a matter of getting devices in people’s hands actually… And why ??
What these folks are forgetting..
Microsoft’s last five years of innovative design experience..
Tools and Tech that got largely ignored from the Press and Pundits
In the past five years Microsoft completely reinvented how Windows platform applications have changed. How you write a Microsoft Windows application is not through good old “win forms” that everyone remembers from ten years ago in the XP days, but using XAML to create a user experience that really is design oriented.
If you have used Visual Studio 2010, you should know that even though that product looks a lot like the old Visual Studio 2008 from first glance it’s user interface is completely rewritten using Microsoft’s Windows Presentation Foundation (or WPF for short) which is based on XAML an XML based UI design mark-up language. By the way these applications still run on XP computers today they don’t require you to have Windows 7 yet..
If you create a Silverlight based web browser based program it also uses that same of XAML markup to create the UI you see on screen including the buttons layout, multimedia elements etc.. Now Silverlight web applications can even be installed to your computer and run from the start menu just like regular Windows applications.
Microsoft calls this “Connected Experiences”.. What that means is the same .NET code you write one place works on your PC, a Tablet, a phone, even the X-box 360 (if you are writing a game).
Let’s take a look at some WPF, Silverlight, and Windows Phone applications over the last several years., All of these would run fine on a netbook, or Windows 7 tablet to the spec that the new Windows 7 tablets are running and their Apple iPad equivalent applications..
iPad Magazine Applications All that innovative ?? “ Been there done that before..”
The New York Times Reader Application 1.0 in WPF for Windows (as shown originally from launch images below happened way back in 2006). This application is not available today as the company was courted by Adobe and it is now an Adobe Air application. Many feel that the move was mostly because at the time Silverlight was not available at the time so when this launched the application only ran under Windows. It wasn’t until Silverlight was launched that Microsoft had the technology to actually create an experience that ran on the web, as a desktop application, and one that would run simultaneously on Windows and the Apple Macintosh platform. It’s no wonder Apple limited iPods, iPads, and iPhones from running Mac desktop application because if so both Adobe Flash/AIR based Rich Internet applications and Microsoft Silverlight Applications would run on those devices as they will on Windows 7 tablets and they could loose control of their application development stranglehold.
Here’s the Apple iPad version of the New York Times Reader today in 2010..
Whether it can do more than the version 1.0, 2006 WPF Windows platform application is VERY STRONGLY debated..
If you’d like to be able to develop a magazine today for a Windows 7 Tablets today. Here are some good starting points.. Remember the screen shots below are from 2006-2007..
http://windowsclient.net/wpf/starter-kits/sce/sce-get-more-details.aspx
You can download the starter kit today at:
Download the SCE Starter Kit
Getting Started
Architecture Overview Getting Started with the Starter Kit What's New in SCE Starter Kit ? Training Videos
Walkthrough: Syndicated Client Experiences Starter Kit Walkthrough: How to Add a Custom Item to the Syndicated Client Experiences NavPanel Customizing the Appearance of SCE Reader Articles Customizing SCE Reader Section Front Templates
Datafeeds and Adding Advertising
UI Customization
The topics in this section will teach you how to customize the UI of your SCE Starter Kit, including section fronts, articles, and layout. Starter Kit Development
This section includes detailed information on which classes developers will need to modify in order to customize Starter Kit extensibility and logging, along with tips for finalizing and deploying your SCE application. Data Feeds
This collection of articles will teach you everything you need to know about the Data and Ad Feeds in the SCE Starter Kit.
This will run on Windows 7 tablets just fine today as *IS*… Microsoft literally gives this technology away as a starter kit to spur growth in the digital publication sector. While pundits are recommending you spend big bucks to get involved with the Adobe publishing solution for the iPad which is getting press because of Adobe inDesign these days and Apple is pushing publishing. Of course this technology was pioneered by Microsoft in the “Vista” days way before the iPad and Adobe Air was available.. Was this a little before it’s time, yes..
But the point is the technology is there and it runs great on the Windows 7 slates/tablets/pads whatever you want to call it..
Other WPF application Examples that will look and work great on the new Win 7 Tablets.
http://www.asahiyamazoo-aict.jp/asahiyamazoo.xbap (this link is not Silverlight but runs great on Windows 7 Tablets but uses the same UI technology as Silverlight… XAML).. I haven’t seen many Apple iPad applications that are this good (and this is from 2006-2007)
Another goody from 2006, the WPF Snow Boarder Application by Metaliq
IBooks Today on the Apple iPad
They may look different but it’s the same UI technology inside..
I have blogged about “Connected Experiences” before but it’s true you can design once for a Windows 7 Tablet using Expression Blend in XAML and have the same basic design transport nicely to the web using Silverlight, or even a start menu based browser application or a Windows Phone 7 application using the same tools from start to finish including prototyping that application in Sketchflow in Expression Blend. Now it is true that there are form factor considerations between a phone and a Windows application or Silverlight application screen size, but XAML and Blend make that easy to adjust..
Microsoft Surface and Multi-touch (Invented Here)
The “father of multi-touch”, Bill Buxton, you might know him as he is not an Apple guy but works for Microsoft Resarch.
Facebook Applications for iPhone, iPad, iPod, Android
Silverlight Facebook Client
This Silverlight Facebook Application works equally well on Windows 7 Tablets, and has the new Metro UI just like Windows Phone 7.. Notice all the picture hubs from my friends pictures. And yes for you that are looking a little closer I find myself very lucky to have some very funny people as well as heroes of my youth as my facebook friends. No they don’t endorse what I am saying, you’d have to ask them about this yourself..
There is a WPF client out there called Fishbowl that has the same UI that runs very well on Windows 7 Tablets as well..
Here’s a more conventional look as a facebook app. This time done as just a standard WPF Windows Platform app, maybe not as sexy but definitely functional.. Both with different looks but similar facebook code base both work great on any Windows 7 Tablet..
In fact the same SDK contains support for WPF, Silverlight, Microsoft Web Apps, old windows, and Web (ASP and MVC) making this all extremely portable, even to the X-Box 360.. As seen through Microsoft’s X-Box 360 App..
![006-facebook-xbox-360[4]](http://www.uxmagic.com/blog/image.axd?picture=006-facebook-xbox-360%5B4%5D_thumb.jpg "006-facebook-xbox-360[4]")
and even ZuneHD...
Multi-touch and Microsoft Surface
Microsoft Surface
A few years ago Microsoft introduced Surface computing and later incorporated as much of the applicable technology that it could into the free Windows 7 Touch Pack for Windows computers (such as new Windows 7 tablets, Silverlight, and Windows Phone 7).. Here are some Windows 7 touch pack applications below..
I get to play with surface applications every day with my HP Touchsmart multi-touch IQ which I have had for more than a couple of years now, which works great with multi-touch on Windows 7.. It’s just around a .25 Ghz faster speed as the announced tablets.
So what about any of these apps or technologies are under capable versus an Apple iPad device ? With all of the Flash and Adobe Air and Silverlight and WPF applications running on it and with IE 9 coming out supporting HTML 5 but also Flash and Silverlight too then *NOT MUCH*. Some people out there feel that Apple’s tight grip on things like Flash on their mobile devices represents a sort of closed thinking that will not leave the devices open for all parties and this may be Apple’s “Achilles Heel” so to speak..
Oh wait Microsoft doesn’t have an app store for Windows? Oh yes they do (it’s open too), not to mention the new one for Windows Phone..
This is just some of the applications and comparable things you can find versus an iDevice and the fact is really the “magical and revolutionary” is nothing all that new at all, just mostly “hype”, packaging, and form factor and because it’s from Apple..
Apple/Google Disadvantages Over Windows 7
All iPad apps have to come from Apple’s store (no independent applications can be installed sold. If you sell your app guess who gets a cut..
No Flash, Silverlight, only approved applications are welcome..
Cost
Freedom to install what you want when you want, without the middle man
Costs, both software costs and hardware costs from competing makers should lower costs..
Windows Media Center (There is no Front Row for iPod/iPad)
Zune connected experience music store, not to mention Rhapsody and whatever service you want to use..
Proven portability
More open, you can store documents browse folders, you don’t have to sync to transfer files or work with them.
Any document types are just there and supported
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office Live
Free Windows Live Skydrive with sharing over the cloud (2 gigs free monthly) Microsoft Office web apps built-in. Sync works with Macs and Mobile devices.. NO subscription costs like MobileMe.. You are not nickled and dimed.
This is just some of the reasons I think Windows 7 tablets will be wildly successful..