Screenshots

Continuing the earlier blog entry on 'Old dog, new tricks'.

I came back with two impressions about Mix06, Microsoft's inaugural 3-in-1 conferece for techies, web developers and business deciion makers.

One, Microsoft has no clue of how to grow the blog sphere solutions and is contented to be a 'me too' via MSNSpace.

Two, after launching Office Live with little eggs-on-the-face, Microsoft is shifting gear into dominating the web services space. I wouldn't doubt a single bit that it looks set to leverage the era of 64-bit processor in most office and home PCs.

Have you wondered if a software giant was staring at over 400 million Microsoft Office users worldwide and did nothing about it?

While in Vegas, I managed to preview some of its enhanced products due for release later this year, which include IE7, Office2007, Windows Vista (with 3D modelling and WinFX, Windows Presentation Foundation and new Windows Media Center etc). They will be resource suckers, no doubt, but CPUs configured for games can now give you a mind-boggling user experience on the PC, and even notebook. Just wait for July. If you can't, I can loan you the preview DVDs (files sizes have bloated) -- load them and test drive. It's mind-boggling user experience -- if you have not used an Apple in the past, and 83% of PC users have not used an Apple before!

Yesterday, I talked briefly about IE7. What next beyond the browser?

This morning, I attended a general overview given by Joe Belfiore, Microsoft's corporate vice-president for the e-Home development team. Overall, he talked about customer experience direction that Microsoft has aligned together. The next-gen PC user experience will be made of ( 1 ) smart client, ( 2 ) TV-connected terminal (live or recorded content that makes home connected to life at large), ( 3 ) Reaching the customer/user RSS-driven with subscription and API models -- meaning web services, ( 4 ) an array of mobile services, and ( 5 ) richer browser experience i.e. IE7.

Screenshot by Jeff Ooi

One of the demos about smart client, built on WinFX, touched on personalising Yahoo! Finance services onto the spreqd-sheets. All the good old copy-and-paste processes have now been reduced to a click or two on the mouse. You don't even need to learn and by-heart any new UI (user interface). No culture shock. Just enriched user experience.

Joe Belfiore showcasing a smart client on an UltraPC made by Founder.
Screenshots picture by Jeff Ooi

The other demo touches on e-paper type of interactive, rich content online advertising (Read my lips: Beyond banner ads!).

Screenshots picture by Jeff Ooi

This preview was given additional highlight and was followed with a separate panel discussion by representatives from New York Times, Yahoo!, Interpublic Group and several people from advertisers and advertising agencies side of the industry. There were several interesting points thrown across both sides of the floor that it deserves a separate blog.

The third demo I remembered well is on Microsoft's strategies on embracing mobile devices, one of my pet subjects in convergent industries and services. Just keep you radar screen clear as, beginning this year, it will be invaded by ultra mobile PC (yes, Bill Gates' tablet PC tanked so yesterday he brought a smaller one made by Samsung), Windows-run mobile terminals, mobile content devices and services (I said just now, TV-connected devices), and xBox 360 that will interface with your home PC that is embedded with Windows Media Center (sound complicated? Just think of your PC as a DVD changer for now!)

For want of better word, it's mind-boggling. Awesome even. Microsoft has extended its grip as the king of desktop apps to a full range of life-support system for PC users... the utility, the functionality and now the kicks.

Another thing, hold tight to your wallet this Christmas! You have been forewarned :-)