Archive for the 'WPF/e' Category

04
Mar

Silverlight to run on linux! Oh wait that was last year.

By admin 3 Comments
Categories: Silverlight, WPF/e, Microsoft and Life in general

Silverlight

So I’ve heard a few people today mention that Silverlight is going to be running on new nokia handsets. (Article 1, Article 2)

I especially enjoyed the end of the article 1.

Nokia is only prepared to say that a Silverlight developers’ kit is “intended” to be available during 2008, and that versions for S40 and Nokia Internet Tablets will be “confirmed later”.

Given how enthusiastically Nokia has endorsed every other Web 2.0 technology, its reticence is both uncharacteristic, and a little worrying.

Come on. Can’t microsoft stay focused on anything for more than 10 minutes. Please just show me another demo of silverlight running on my giant touchscreen coffee table. It works great when my cats not sleeping on it.

Microsoft Surfacecatdrawersm.jpg

In conclusion. Microsoft please fix my Vista Media Center First. I would like a Netflix Watch Now plugin and to not have to reboot it every couple of days.

You know what I do like, SQL Server. Good job with that.

Thank you Ben for giving me my mornings rant. Its like most people without coffee.

Link to last years article on Silverlight for linux

09
Dec

New Revolutionary product released! Behold! “Microsoft Flash”

By initapp 8 Comments
Categories: WPF/e, Microsoft, Flex, Flash and Development

How do they come up with all these great ideas? lets list a few of the more recent ones.

Microsoft Flash (Just released in beta)
Microsoft iPod (Its a christmas hit)
Microsoft Google Search (Who doesn’t search with this?)
Microsoft Google Maps
Microsoft iTunes Store (Plays for sure?)
Microsoft Playstation

For those of you who don’t know what WPF/e (Microsoft Flash) is, its Microsofts cross platform (OSx, XP/Vista)  browser plugin that allows a portion of the WPF(Windows Presentation Foundation) to be used to make Flash like applications.  (Vector graphics, 2d animations, audio, video,  etc…)

So now everyone seems to be getting getting a bit worked up about WPF/e. When I first heard about this release,  I started off with some grunting and snarling,  followed by being kind of moody for a few hours. I have at this time managed to calm myself down enough to put together some initial pros and cons going into this thing.

Pros & Cons of WPF

Pros
1. Competition can be healthy. (Maybe we’ll get Apollo and I cant stop dreaming about it in my Xmas stocking)
2. You can use the standard MS Languages C#, VB.Net, etc…
3. Media playback works with DRM content.

Cons
1. Microsoft once again extends itself too far. Seriously, whats next? The Microsoft Toilet, the Microsoft Refrigerator? Just because its a successful product doesn’t mean you have to copy it throw an X on it and mass produce it. Imagine for a moment the xToilet, I imagine it to be an even better version of those sensor auto flushing toilets at the airport that flush every time you reach back to do a wipe. Its like a toilet and a water slide all in one! PEOPLE! It worked perfectly well when it was just a toilet with a handle. It just didn’t need the “X” treatment.

2. Next week I’m going to walk into work into a new Project and some one will inevitably say “Why don’t we use WPF/e instead of Flash”. Because of this I’m going to have to learn this technology even if its far off from prime time (can they even get it through a demo without a crash?). Also, did you see how slow apps start up?

3. What will happen now that the Microsoft iPod doesn’t use PlaysForSure? Just plain Scary.

Anyway, I’m done with my temper tantrim. Guess its time to get out the Microsoft Blender and see what I can make with this thing. Who knows maybe it’ll turn out to make Microsoft Margaritas. Mmmmm… Margaritas

-s

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