One of the largest drivers keeping windows entrenched is that it is what people are used to.  Many argue the superiority of OS X and Ubuntu and have for years, but for the majority of users, they are both are not-quite-right-clones of windows. Buttons are in the wrong spot, Office doesn’t work the same, some websites don’t render right.  It doesn’t matter what the merits of the other operating systems are, they loose because they are different.  That is the reason Windows-based netbooks are outselling Linux netbooks.

Ironically, however, that is the very reason that causes Android to pass windows.   As phones become less of a phone and more of a computer on your pocket, the dominant phone OS will become the OS that users are used to.  At that point, it will be Windows that will become not-quite-right-clone.  At that point, the average user will choose an OS that makes their laptop work like their phone every time.

Why Android, and not iPhone OS? At WWDC,  Apple talked about how OS X sales haved spiked since release of iPhone–which may corrabolate my hypothesis.  However, I think that in the long run, the Apple controlled iPhone will not be able to compete with the more open, multi-vendor Android just like they could not compete with the more open Windows/PC.  the iPhone will have a good couple years, but in the end they will be a niche player.

Why Android, and not Windows Mobile.  Although Windows Mobile makes the same arguement I am making, but in reverse (look: your phone works like your laptop!), scaling applications and interfaces down is much more different and difficult than scaling them up.  Mictosoft has had a long time to create a popular mobile OS, but they have yet to deliver because they are too connected to desktop paradigms to create a compelling mobile platform.

Not even Office will be able to keep users on Windows, like it does now.  With users expecting to access their documents remotely and from a large variety of devices, office applcations are going to be forced to a cloud based/multi-device platform.  It may be MS, Google, or someone else who delivers this, but whoever it is will need to have a great Android option available, which will stop Office from being the the Windows-lock-in product that it is today.

Will Android pass Windows as the dominant OS platform?  It is hard to say, and if it does, it will be a long, long time.  Netbook manufacturers are just experimenting with it, and even phone manufacturers are still experimenting with it.  If anyone is able to pass Windows, however, I think that Android has the best chance of the choices available today.

I have been trying to think of a twitter related project to better understand it, but so far every idea has already been implemented. One was even implemented exactly as I imagined it, even down to using google app engine for the platform. I think there are too people on the Internet…

What makes it limited in my eyes is not the language support, but the database support.  Python is a fine language.  There are things I like about it compared to Java, and some things I don’t like.  On the whole, it is easy to learn and yet very powerful.  I can not think of any web application I have ever made that I could not implement in Python just as well as I did in Java.

On the other hand, I do not know of any web applications I have made professionally that could run on the app engine’s database.  Even my side-project WhereDoKidsEatFreeToday site is running into database limitations.  Some of the showstoppers for me include:

• Very limited query logic (no OR statements, cannot do inequality comparisons on multiple columns, etc)
• No aggregate functions
• No full text search
• No data schema migration support
• No data backup ability for rollback

I understand that they are bulding a non-relational database that is designed for scalability.  I understand that, and I understand choices like limiting to 1000 rows returned and no table joins.  I can work around those.  The issues listed above and others like it, however, do keep me from considering it as a platform for application development–even if I can code in Java.

I had a fun time making the plug-in and it is good to see that others are enjoying it too.  Plus, the prize money will go a long way towards the Guitar Hero Fund…

If you are interested, it took about 600 lines of Python code and about 400 lines of HTML.  If I wrote the Python code as “real” Python code it would have been about 400 lines and much more readable.  Hopefully a future refactoring will get it better as I learn more Python idioms.  I plan to post a series of entries on what I have learned about Python and Google App Engine over the next week, so stay tuned.

For now, however, please check the site out.  I think the restaurant add functionality turned out well so it is really easy to add places you know.

I finished reading it this past weekend, and think that it is a book everyone should read.  As a developer, you spend your whole day reading code, the least you can do is teach yourself how to write it well.

Plus, if you loan it to your co-workers, it may well be the best gift you could ever get.

I started life as a Perl coder around 1998 and made the jump to Java in around 2001. I remember how tired I was every night after work, but how great it was to be exposed to completely new concepts and ways of working–even the bad ideas like EJB 1.1.  Since then I have improved and refined my Java library usage (Servlets->Struts->Spring, Torque->JDO->JPA,  etc) but they have all been just evolutions of a similar theme. I realized that for all my talk of “best tool for the job”, I have really been keeping my toolbox limited.

I am a strong believer that you can only really learn a technology by having a real-life project. “Sample” projects help you learn the top layer happy path, but you are never going to really learn the ins and outs of a tool without a real project.

Since a real project to me means a web application and since I am cheap, the Google App Engine (GAE) with Python is a natural fit.  Python is definitely a language that should be learned, GAE is a great exposure to cloud computing, and best of all I can build it all for free.

For the last week, I’ve been working through the sample apps and have begun diving deeper into Python and Django.  So far I have liked what I’ve seen, but however the project turns out, I know it is making me a better developer.

The obvious answer is to use my knowledge of future events as a primary source of income.  Stock trading and sports betting would be a great source of income, but since I only have a big-picture view of 1970s markets and I know next to nothing about sports, they would be more long-term investments.  So, while I am waiting for those investments to go up, what would I do?  Would I get a job as a software developer? I’m not sure that I could.

If I suddenly appeared in the 1970s and had to program with punch cards, I think I would go crazy.  No automated refactoring.  No instant compile.  No intellisense.  No interactive debugger.  No Google. No dual 22″ monitors.  No version control systems.  No database.   I don’t think I could handle it.

I could, of course, know the best companies to work at (and when to leave), but would that be enough?  I would get to be in on the creation of apps that changed the world, but I still would not have IntelliJ.  Plus, while it would be great to work would be on development of ARPANET, would I be able to get a job in the Department of Defense without a believable and traceable background?

In the end, I think I would skip learning to code in technology of the day and stick to higher level tasks like architecture, spec writing, and consulting until my stocks paid out.  Maybe introduce agile and Scrum to the world early and change the course of history.  Just think of all the terrible projects that would have never happened if waterfall was killed before it got off the ground.  I really could make the world a better place.

This is the kind of thing I think about….

What would you do? Could you hack it as a 1970s coder?

The answer to all these problems is simple: introduce RSS. A recent Forrester report shows that only only 11% of people use an RSS reader, which means that there is a very good chance that the vast majority of people in your company are not RSS users.

To make things easy for you, I have created a sample email you can send to anyone and everyone in your company that should advantage of RSS. All you need to do is:

• Find a few sample feeds that your target audience will find useful, then export and attach them as an OPML file. Make sure you find a set that well represents the types of feeds they will like and that will make the value of RSS immediately obvious.
• Edit the message for any changes in tone and content as appropriate. Look for [BOLD BRACKETED TEXT] to replace
• Be there to help them out. People will have questions, make sure you let them know that you will be happy to help them.

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Subject: Everyone should use an RSS reader

Do you feel like you can’t keep up with industry changes? Do you find you are spending too much time searching for new content on the Internet? Get an RSS reader! An RSS reader is what allows you to keep up on topics and trends that interest you in a very easy and very efficient manner. With an RSS reader, you can spend less time searching for what you need to know and more time learning what you need to know.

We are all very busy, but in order to [LIST WHAT YOUR CORE BUSINESS IS HERE], we need to keep on top of what is happening in a rapidly changing industry. An RSS reader is an invaluable tool to help you maintain your keep informed/keep working balance.

Since I think everyone in the company should be using RSS to keep ourselves current and informed, I put together a quick how-to to get you started.

What is RSS?
RSS is a way for websites to list when pieces of content (such as news) is updated to their site

What is an RSS reader?
An RSS reader is a program that periodically checks RSS “feeds” which list updates to the sites. They track what you have read and what you have not read so you are only presented with new content.

What is a good RSS reader to use?
I’ve been using Google Reader for a couple years (http://www.google.com/reader/). It is free to use, performs well, and has a nice UI. Plus,since it is web based you can access the same list of feeds from any computer or smartphone. Log into Google Reader now and take a look. I’ll wait…

How do I add RSS feeds?
When you are on a site you would like to receive updates from, there are a few things to look for:

Browsers will often display a standard RSS logo in the toolbar:

If you don’t see an RSS link in the browser toolbar, check the page for a similar icon or a link that says “RSS” or “XML” or “Syndicate” (usually in the page header or footer).

When you click on the link, it will ask you how you want to subscribe. There will normally be an option for “Google Reader” which will add it to your list of feeds.

Using Google Reader

1. Click on the name of the feed you want to read new items from
2. Read items in the reading pane. As you scroll past them, they will be marked as read.

Getting started

1. I attached a file you can use to import a few feeds I thought you may find useful. To import it, use the “Manage Subscriptions” link and click on the “Import/Export” tab to upload the attached file. [MAKE SURE YOU ATTACH A OPML FILE]
2. Start adding feeds!

Ways to find feeds

• Go to sites you visit on a regular basis (or wish you had time to visit) and look for an RSS icon.
• http://blogsearch.google.com/ allows you to create a feed for blog search results. This allows you to create a feed that will show anytime anyone posts on your search terms
• Do a web search for items something you would like to follow. Check the good-looking results and see if they are sites that cater to what you are looking for and have a feed
• Yahoo web search results can be turned into a feed
• Use the “Discover >>” link on Google Reader to find feeds that it thinks you will like based on what you are subscribed to
• Use the “Discover >>” link on Google Reader to browse and search for feeds
• Keep an eye out for RSS links as you browse in general.

Advanced Uses
Once you get the general idea down, you can look into additional features available including starring items you like for easy retrieval later, sharing items you like with other people and reading what others have shared, categorizing and tagging your feeds and items, and more.

If you have any questions, be sure to let me know.

If have read it before, I read it again!

It is very dense, but has a ton of great information that should be in the front of your mind continually as you code.

• Five signs of bad code (Rigidity, Fragility, Immobility, Viscosity)
• Four class design principles (Open Closed, Liskov Substitution, Dependency Inversion, Interface Segregation)
• Three package design principles (Release Reuse Equivalency, Common Closure, Common Reuse)
• Three package coupling principles (Acyclic Dependencies, Stable Dependencies, Stable Abstractions)
• Five common architecture patterns (Abstract Server, Adapter, Observer, Bridge, Abstract Factory)

Once you have read it, re-read it again in two weeks to keep the concepts fresh in your mind.  Rinse and repeat until writing good code your natural reaction.