D's Viewpoint

Windows 8 - What does it mean for Microsoft and Apple?

Deepak Chitnis — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 00:26:00 GMT

User experience has certainly taken center stage with the introduction of touch enabled devices such as smartphones and tablets. Apple reintroduced touch (made finger pointing :-) common place) in ways that it had to become center stage. So why would Microsoft's re-reintroduction of touch in Windows 8 make a difference?

Let us visit history and see how Apple and Microsoft have played out in changing the computing experience. Most people probably have heard of a device in the late 1970s and early 1980s branded Apple II. Oh, yes. Apple set out to change the world with this machine. It was a desktop computer with the ability to type commands and the machine would execute the commands. The computer which consumerized (is that even a word) computing. However, it was not until IBM introduced the PC and Microsoft provided the PC-DOS (IBM's name for MS-DOS) that the desktop computing really popularized. Microsoft went on to introduce versions of MS-DOS on PC clones. The input device that brought about this was the Keyboard. (The favorite input device prior this was punched cards).

Having lost the popularity and not changing from its policies of proprietary standards, Apple needed to do something dramatically different. In the late 1980s, that dramatization was brewing in Palo Alto in the form of a new user interface (the term user experience was coined much later) at Xerox. Apple licensed the technology and introduced the Apple Macintosh. Microsoft followed with a similar user interface in their version of the operating system named Windows. The device that was key to this user interface is the mighty Mouse. Apple Macintosh, though a consumer product, was/is relatively sold less in volume compared to the PC clones with Microsoft's Windows operating system. A notable aspect was that Microsoft retained its MS-DOS in the form of another application that would run in a window with a changed name 'command prompt'.

During the first decade of the millennium, Apple has tried relentlessly to introduce finger pointing :-) (inspired by the non-functional pen pointing on a few Microsoft devices), but it did not seem to come together. The touch based devices, at much addressed specific needs. With Windows 8 Microsoft is introducing this technology mainstream. Unlike, Apple (who have still held on to the proprietary policies of a closed system) which introduced touch only on the iPods/iPhones and the iPads, leaving the Macintosh behind, Microsoft opted to re-engineer the whole eco-system and their operating system around this incredible new user experience. While doing so, the old style of applications are still supported as expected in a small specific app named the Desktop, which eventually will go into oblivion much as the DOS prompt did. But then, will history repeat itself? Time will tell.

Deepak Chitnis ...

Where does Windows 8 leave the HTML5/Silverlight battle?

Deepak Chitnis — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 21:50:00 GMT

So //build/ is underway and there have been some significant announcements (yeah, the Samsung slate is probably the favorite among the attendees). The biggest announcement in my opinion which is game changing is ‘WinRT’, the Windows Runtime. Yes, there are other significant announcements like the support of various form factors (to lay the argument of head-on competing with the iPad to rest) and the new OS is backward compatible to Windows 7 (how can that not be? we are not talking Apple), but those are not the differentiators.

The differentiator is the eco system and with WinRT the entire Microsoft platform eco system centers around this runtime. Microsoft has tried that in the past with various versions of .NET Framework, but what was achieved was always a subset or a superset for various form factors. For the first time it seems we have the same runtime for all form factors (I have not had my hand on Windows 8 Preview yet and so could be wrong). If that is true what do we have?

We have the ability to code applications using XAML + any language of choice from C#, VB, C++ or HTML5 + JavaScript for the UI. The plumbing is taken care by the .NET Framework. In the new reality of cloud computing and web services, the UI/UX is the main responsibility of the various client devices (PC, Tablets, Phones). Obviously the client needs to be as rich as possible with the plumbing aspects built into the runtime that facilitates easy plumbing to the cloud/web services and that is exactly what the WinRT achieves.

So where does that leave the HTML5/Silverlight battle? Well, Silverlight (XAML + C#/VB) is more Microsoft, whereas HTML5+JavaScript is more non-Microsoft. The Silverlight loyalist will continue on, what needs to be seen is, will the HTML5+JavaScript community with a strong inclination to JQuery and other JavaScript Frameworks/Libraries swing?

Deepak Chitnis ...

WCF RIA Services, WCF RIA Services toolkit, Entity Framework in n-tier Architecture

Deepak Chitnis — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 17:00:00 GMT

When I started building out OliveLite, I did not pay much attention to the layering of the application. The vision was narrow, I wanted to get a plugin based MVC 3 application infrastructure in place, that could be extended by dropping dlls of plugins built in separate projects into the bin folder of the Core and they would ‘just work’. While that in itself is a pretty solid architecture to achieve, it did not consider the aspect of sharing the business logic built in the controllers of the MVC 3 application with other clients (e.g. Mobile applications). Now I need to revisit the layering of the application and make the controllers lean and mean and push the business logic to a layer in its own so that it can be shared across various clients.

While attaining that goal, I did not simply want to build a SOAP/XML web service (I have done that a lot many times in the past and very well know their limitations). I wanted to have something that made sense from an infrastructure perspective, like sharing the authentication mechanism for instance. I started thinking along the lines of Silverlight 4 & WCF RIA Services. I was intrigued by the way the DomainService reflected on the client side and Silverlight could just make calls to the client proxy of the DomainService. But that was all made possible by the Silverlight infrastructure and there was no easy way to make that same thing happen in ASP.NET MVC 3. So I left the issue on the back burner for a while (and the work on OliveLite suffered as well because I was not prepared to write any more code unless I had ironed out the issue).

Recently the urge to make progress on OliveLite made me look into this again. During my research on the subject I came across a great series by David Rousset, How to open a WCF RIA Services application to other type of clients. The key ingredient that comes to light is the WCF RIA Services toolkit. This series demonstrates how one could use the WCF RIA Services to build a Business Logic Layer that can be shared with various client. The Entity Framework provides the Data Access Layer (which is already employed by OliveLite) and so now the ASP.NET MVC 3 application can be very lean and mean (and of-course easy to upgrade when MVC 4 comes along). So finally we have:

ASP.NET MVC 3 – Presentation Layer
WCF RIA Services / WCF RIA Services Toolkit – Business Logic Layer
Entity Framework – Data Access Layer

It does get very clean and easy. Now all that remains is the time to push all that business logic built into the controllers to the WCF RIA Services (and that is the hard part).

Deepak Chitnis ...

HTC Thunderbolt Software Update 1.70.605.0

Deepak Chitnis — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:50:00 GMT

There were huge expectations surrounding this software update for the Thunderbolt.

Upgrade Android OS to Gingerbread (2.3.4)
Skype Video Calling
GTalk Video Chat

Instead none of these made it. They are slated for a rumored 2.07.605.2 release. So what is in the current update? It seems that the pretense was to fix the intermittent device reboot issue. Here are the officially listed things included in the current update:

However, under that pretense, what really Verizon is doing is supporting their new policy of discontinuing their unlimited data plan. The My Verizon and Data Usage Widget from above is in direct support of that policy change. Thunderbolt also supports the Mobile Hotspot which was open for use prior to this update, but now this app is changed and you need to call Verizon to get it enabled (possibly for a fee). So not only do you not get the expected new functionality, but a bunch of existing functionality is crippled.

This may sound like I don’t recommend the update, but for most consumers this may not be an issue. The tech savvy folks need to decide if the reboot fix / Data Usage Widget are worth giving up some of existing functionality.

Deepak Chitnis ...

What Chromebook?

Deepak Chitnis — Thu, 12 May 2011 19:36:00 GMT

Can a netbook be just a browser? According to Google, it can and so enters Chromebook on June 15, 2011. Nothing but a piece of hardware that runs the Chrome browser with Adobe Flash support. Google has created an App Marketplace for Chrome, from where apps can be ‘Installed’ on the browser. Most are mere shortcuts to existing websites. Once installed the app gets pinned to the start page (a fancy way of displaying favorites/bookmarks). Some do plugin into the toolbars and others are extensions.

It is supposed to boot up in 8 secs. No patching (as there is no OS). No need for an Antivirus as no other executable application runs on the machine other than the browser. The browser automatically updates itself. Most applications do not need updates as they are merely shortcuts to websites. Security issues are drastically reduced as there is no local storage (yes, that is correct) except the media card reader (probably for transferring pictures and the like to the cloud storage). The cloud is the storage. That also helps in deployment (no data to backup or transfer).

This does raise some questions:

What about Android and its future? Android phones and tablets are getting pretty popular and poised to lead the industry toppling Apple. Will this not fragment the market for Google, even if Google continues supporting both types of devices?
What does one do when there is no network connectivity? Yes, rare these days. Even airplanes don’t stop you from being ‘connected’.
Would you rather buy a tablet (iPad or Android) or the Chromebook as both are similarly priced from a consumer perspective?

It will be interesting to see how this product will be received in the market. One thing is certain, that the emphasis here is on the cloud. Will positioning a product solely on a browser and cloud services generate enough sales? Will mindset of the masses change from having to work with complex eco-systems as OS, patches, upgrades and backups to simply relying on the browser & the cloud?

Deepak Chitnis ...

Windows Phone 7 'Mango' wish list

Deepak Chitnis — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 22:52:00 GMT

While my wish list for Windows Phone 7 back from October 2010 is still valid and remains un-addressed, there was one positive news I happened to read in the recent past. That was Skype releasing a version for Windows Phone 7. Now that is interesting, and here is why;

Skype has a version of their software which works really well (and I mean really) on the Verizon network. It seamlessly integrates with the phone, works and acts like the phone (not just from the speaker, but through the handset as well) and best of all Skype-to-Skype calls are free. Now Skype is in the process of releasing a version of Skype Mobile (Verizon version) for the hTC Thunderbolt on the Android platform (not to be confused with Skype for Android). With that release Verizon subscribers will have the option of Video calls using Skype (which is not a Microsoft or Verizon proprietary platform), thanks to the front facing camera. Now the hTC Thunderbolt is on 4G LTE and has a mini Wi-Fi hotspot that can be turned on.

So unlike my blog post from October 2010, where the comparison was more closely with iPhone 4, this time round, it adds on the Android platform and a big carrier Verizon to the mix. Verizon has already announced multiple Android devices targeted for the holiday season 2011 and there is not even a mention of Windows Phone 7 in their pipeline. The ‘Mango’ release for Windows Phone 7 has a lot of promise, but still is really a catch-up. So when do I get to use a Windows Phone again (believe me I want to, and I will, if required for professional reasons) with all my wish list addressed?

P.S. I still strongly believe that Microsoft needs to revisit and include more aspects to the hardware specification. What better time than, when a big update is being announced.

Deepak Chitnis ...

OliveLite Source Code Release 0.0.2

Deepak Chitnis — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 13:52:00 GMT

There is now a new source code release 0.0.2 for OliveLite. This release expands upon the previous release. In my previous blog post regarding OliveLite I did state that this release will not be focused on additional features, but I suppose what I really meant was no additional plugins. This release adds the Search feature. It is now possible to search across all content within the OliveLite system. This has been implemented using the Lucene.NET and HTML Agility Pack packages. This release also demonstrates how the plugins contribute to the search index by implementing the ‘Reindex’ action on their controllers. Here is highlights of the enhancements in this release:

Bug fixes, Business logic fixes.
Plugin authorization for Business Units.
Lucene Search Engine Integration.
Ability to display or hide address and map on Contact Form.
Ability for Administrator to Edit HtmlContent & WikiPages from page itself.

For the next release I’m planning to include the Forums plugin. This will enable Forum discussions on the OliveLite site. OliveLite is growing and some of the feedback that I’m receiving via other sources are really great. The Forums will help centralize the feedback mechanism in one place and make it convenient for everyone following OliveLite to provide their feedback. Additionally, I’m planning on the following enhancements:

Bug fixes, Business logic fixes.
Additional Themes.
Theme Registration.
Opt-in on Contact Form.
Forums Plugin.

For more information on OliveLite, please visit the project website at http://olivelite.com

For now, please be sure to provide feedback on this blog post or on Codeplex.

Deepak Chitnis ...

Visual Studio 2010 Service Pack 1 ( SP1 )

Deepak Chitnis — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 21:03:00 GMT

Microsoft released the service pack 1 for Visual Studio 2010 today. It certainly is feature packed. The most important features seem to be:

An updated .NET Framework 4
Windows Phone 7 development tools included
Support for IIS Express 7.5
Support for SQL CE 4.0 (although with a separate install)
Support for Silverlight 4 development
A whole lot of bug fixes to Visual Studio IDE and TFS

Installing the service pack does take a long time, so prepare yourself accordingly. It took about an hour on my Quad Core machine with no other process running. The installation of VS10sp1-KB983509 takes the maximum time.

Support for SQL CE 4.0 is provided by means of a separate download. This can be acquired using the Web Platform Installer. Search for Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 SP1 Tools for SQL Server Compact 4.0. The Web Platform Installer does not state that this is a CTP release, but it certainly is (check screenshots below), so use at own risk.

The installation experience is streamlined with no surprises and certainly worth the time.

Click Image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

Deepak Chitnis ...

OliveLite Source Code 0.0.1 released on Codeplex

Deepak Chitnis — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 14:17:00 GMT

The source code version 0.0.1 for OliveLite is released on Codeplex. You can download using the url http://olive.codeplex.com/releases/view/61210. This is an early alpha release not recommended for production use.

The features included in this release are:

Plugin Architecture.
Logon/Logoff, Username/Password and OpenID Authentication.
Domain, Business Unit, User, Tags, File adminsitration.
HTML Content, Wiki, Contact Form plugins.
3 UI templates - Default, Shallow Grunge, Grean Tea.

For more information on OliveLite, please visit the project website at http://olivelite.com

For now I will be focusing on documenting and bug fixing what we have so far rather than adding features. Please be sure to provide feedback on this blog post or on Codeplex.

Deepak Chitnis ...

Skype, Google Voice, SIP in one device

Deepak Chitnis — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 18:01:00 GMT

Skype is great for audio/video calls, but receiving calls is a problem if you use a computer, as you will need to have it always on. Google Voice is free, but you need a phone to forward it to. And then dialing using Google Voice is not great either. You need a computer to do this. SIP is great for free telephony, but then again you need a computer. Not any more.

Grandstream Networks, Inc has a great device, the GXV3140. It is amazing. Connect it via Ethernet or the optionally available USB WiFi adapter and you can accomplish all of the above without a computer from a simple phone experience. In addition to being able to do all of the above, you can connect to social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. You can get weather and stock updates using the built in web browser. You can enjoy music using last.fm and watch YouTube videos too. And best of all, the price is a killer. You pay one time for the device and get all of the above with no service charge.

Deepak Chitnis ...