Windows 8 Unexpected Behavior - Suspending Apps

by Dmitry Kirsanov 27. September 2012 06:32

Well, the “unexpected” should be put into quotes, because if you went through the Windows 8 training, then you have some ideas about how it works, but even if you did the training, some things are not clear until you crash at them at full speed.

As I mentioned before, Windows 8 now suspends applications which loose their focus. In Metro applications framework you, as developer, can deal with suspension notice and make sure you save the current state of the application, and  you could use application manifest to create exception from the rule. Say, if your application is a media player or a browser.

However, it turns out that Metro applications are not the only ones to be suspended. More...

Time To Leave the .NET 3.5 Behind

by Dmitry Kirsanov 24. September 2012 08:32

For some software companies, the .NET Framework 3.5 is the current production version. However, it was also very problematic release because of the deployment issues. Windows Vista machines didn’t have it installed by default, so many companies continued to use 2.0 as much as they could, but then Windows 7 had it installed by default, so it became the new standard. But Windows 8 changed it all. More...

The Future of Windows 8

by Dmitry Kirsanov 16. September 2012 21:00

Windows 8 logoIs Windows 8 a new Windows Vista?

During last few days the first thing that comes to my mind every morning, is this question.

The few months before and after the release of Windows 8 is the period of unique opportunity, just like it happens with other new or fundamentally changed products. The amount of efforts you put during such period of time always pays more than the same amount of effort at a later time.

This year, Microsoft is publishing a whole range of new (very) expensive fundamental products. Windows 8, Windows Server 2012, System Center 2012, Office 2013, Visual Studio 11 with Team Foundation Server 11 and more. Some of these products don’t bring any significant opportunity, as user interface is the only change that affects most of it’s users. For example – Office 2013. It’s nice, it should work better, but there’s no real reason to upgrade.

However, Windows 8 is different. As Microsoft rightfully says, it was reimagined, and the problem is – they are not lying and it’s not a buzzword (yet). The changes they made to the very principles of how applications work – not just the looks, but even the life cycle of application – make it harder for the market to swallow. More...

Reimagination

by Dmitry Kirsanov 13. September 2012 20:02

Alice is about to reimagine flamingoIn some future articles I am going to use this term, as well as you’ll hear it more often, because it may turn into a buzzword soon. So I’ll explain it to make sure we’re on the same page in the future.

People are habit-driven. We invent something and then we are just following the path. We are building paths for ourselves and for other people, depending from what we do. Manuals, instructions, laws and policies – these are perhaps the biggest examples of rules we make, but there are others, which you follow without consent. Why do you pour coffee before milk?

Some of the rules and habits we have are perfectly reasonable. Like when you are taking your umbrella when you are expecting showers. Or the way you are using the elevator or doing any other routine in never changing principles. However, some rules outlive the reason why they were created. More...

Bing or Not?

by Dmitry Kirsanov 11. September 2012 12:07

Bing it onYou are probably aware about the new Microsoft’s initiative “Bing it on” – a website, which allows you to query both Google and Bing and see result pages side by side, without telling which is what.

In my case I’ve been sitting at Microsoft and watching people voting for one result page or another, by simply comparing which page looks better. The result was a draw.

However, it was 5 minutes later when I’ve opened both Google and Bing in two tabs and compared results with one simple query – “opensuse”. No, I didn’t think that Microsoft is hiding anything about the newest release of the most successful corporate Linux, it was just the first thing that came to mind.

Results were quite interesting. So interesting, that you can try to do the same right now.

While Google provided me with links to 20 different websites, with opensuse.org being the first one, the Bing gave me a page of 10 links, and all of them led to opensuse.org. So, I can rightfully say that first page contained only one website. Which is whatever you want, but not a draw.

The idea to compare two websites was very good indeed, and too bad that Microsoft will soon have to close it.

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Analytics

Devign Intervention

by Dmitry Kirsanov 11. September 2012 09:44

Windows 8 typical application user interface

When average developer is asked to work on the user interface of his application, he is doing everything that is in his power to not do anything about it.

As the result, we usually get some minor visual enhancements which may further impair usability, but look better during the weekly meeting presentation. In worst case scenario, though, we get something that looks like an echo from 90-s with non-standard windows and 3-D controls. Because your boss is dying to see something “apple style”, and so you deliver. More...