Google Beats Microsoft to Web Browser Version 9
In a pretty interesting turn of events, Google seems to have beaten Microsoft to the punch with the latest release of Google Chrome. Not only have they beaten them to version 9, but they have also caught up substantially with their support for HTML5 to the point where comparing Internet Explorer 9 to Google Chrome 9 renders the IE9 Test Drive site fairly unimpressive. For those unfamiliar with the IE9 Test Drive site, its the demo site that shows how much faster IE9 is over other browsers. I have to admit on a few tests, Chrome 9 performed better that IE9.
Google Chrome has jumped in popularity over the last year, surpassing 10% market share, this month, while Internet Explorer continues to slide, now with only 56% market share.
Could all of this have been predicted years ago? I think so. Our industry has changed from accepting complex bloat software with thousands of features you will never use, to expecting software and interfaces to now the reality of the day where:
Clean, Simple, Responsive, and Intuitive Interfaces Rule.
We are clearly starting to see a shift in technology and software, where “simple” and “clean” is the new standard. Fast and responsive is now the expectation, not the exception. Apple has capitalized on this immensely. The iPod, a simple and intuitive device that was clean, simple, and responsive. The iPhone, a simple and intuitive device that was clean, simple, and responsive. The iPad, not so much a revolution as Apple would like you to believe, but yet again, a simple, clean, elegant device that was responsive and had the battery life every laptop owner would die for.Need another example of how clean and simple beats complex, bloaty, and ugly every time? Facebook focused on clean, simple, and intuitive and took down a goliath in MySpace, that at the time nobody would have believed was possible.
The reasons Google Chrome will surpass Internet Explorer in the next few years (maybe year) are clear, and simple to explain.
- Chrome has a very clean and simple interface.
- Chrome crashes very little, and when it does, it crashes elegantly.
- Chrome downloads and installs very quickly.
- Chrome development is very agile, releasing early and often.
- Chrome is very intuitive to use. It lets the web pages speak for themselves.
- Chrome lets you synchronize bookmarks with a few clicks.
Microsoft has nailed a few wins last year with Kinect, Windows Phone 7, XBOX, Windows 7, SharePoint 2010, and Office. The main reason for all these wins was a focus on User Experience instead of focusing on how many features to cram into the software or technology.
In a world when the Web and the cloud is the new reality, one would think Internet Explorer would see some more significant progress, quicker and faster than Google. Google released their first browser two years ago while Microsoft has been in the browser game for almost 17 years. Maybe this makes Google more agile, lean and open to new ideas.
For now, It seems like the blows keep coming fast and furious now, hot on the heels of the “Bing copies Google” fiscal. One has to wonder what affect having the founder back at the helm of the company has had on Google.
For now Google Chrome is still my default browser. It just works. It’s simple, clean, and very responsive, and now works very well with HTML5. Chrome 10 will undoubtedly ship before IE 10 ships, and it will raise the bar even higher. The question is what is Microsoft’s answer?
I need your help to get to Microsoft MIX 2011
Microsoft Mix is one of my favorite conferences that I haven’t been to. What do I mean? Well every year I head to the MVP Summit, and every year I hear how amazing Mix was last year, and how much more amazing the upcoming MIX is going to be!
This year I thought I would take a stab at submitting two entries to Microsoft Mix, and I was pleased to have been selected for the final round of voting. There are some pretty amazing speakers in the running for open call spots, so I’m excited just to be on the same list with some of these guys and gals.
If you have time, please click on the links below to take you to my MIX sessions. You will be able to vote for me, and hopefully when the dust settles, you will be able to download and watch my MIX 2011 talk live!
Mobile First Design – Laser Focus on User Experience
Mobile is taking the world by storm. Your clients demand beautiful experiences on mobile devices, as well as the desktop. However for many developers and designers, the mobile application is the last piece you think about when developing solutions. What if you could design your solutions by starting with the mobile? Could this approach actually benefit applications written for the desktop? By laser focusing on the most important aspects of the application, and designing for mobile devices first, you ensure your application allows users to perform tasks quickly and with grace.
Please vote here
Building Engaging User Experiences with SharePoint 2010 and Expression Studio
The world of software and web development has changed. If users aren’t drawn in and engaged with your web sites, applications, or internal portals, they will go elsewhere… fast. Never before has it been so important for SharePoint developers to focus on the user experience. During this session, you will learn 10 practical ways to customize SharePoint to ensure you capture your customer’s attention, make things easy to do, and ensure they never leave. Based on real world experiences, this session is sure to give you some practical tips, tricks, and advice you can use immediately. Learn to leverage SharePoint 2010 tools to customize your experiences, and make them unique.
Please vote here
What Microsoft Should Announce at CES 2011 (But Probably Won’t)
CES 2011 is coming up next week, and instead of making a few predictions this year, I thought it might be fun to dream of what could be, if Microsoft took some risks, and focused on what it’s still the worlds best at: Enabling users to create content in amazing new ways. If Microsoft can scrap its plans to shove the traditional Windows Operating System onto a touchscreen device, and instead focuses on creating the world’s best, most ridiculously amazing slate device ever created, you will see consumers line up to get their hands on Microsoft products again.
Here is one such announcement that in my humble opinion would make Steve Jobs himself have a panic attack!
A magical device that allows you to create content with Voice, Pen, Touch, and Keyboard. A device that lets you consume the world’s best content without limits. A brilliant device that makes connecting with friends, family, and co-workers easy. The Microsoft One.
REMOND, Wash. – Jan. 5, 2011 – Microsoft today unveiled an all new device that is sure to send shockwaves throughout the technology industry. The Microsoft One is the world first next generation portable device that allows users to finally have the portability and battery life of a slate, and the power a laptop, in one device. The Microsoft One is the first device to run Windows Slate 7 OS.Simply leave the Microsoft One closed and you have a 10inch capacitive touch screen running Windows Slate 7 OS. Windows Slate 7 OS is capable of running all your favorite Windows Phone 7 applications, but also has the unique ability to run Windows Slate 7 OS native applications that take complete advantage of the much larger screen. With Windows Slate 7 OS, consumers can finally handwrite notes, dictate natural voice commands, and touch their Slate devices naturally. The Microsoft One in Slate mode offers over 10 hours a battery life while running, and has over 30 days of standby battery life.
What makes the Windows Slate 7 OS incredibly unique is the ability to flip it open and instantly boot to “full” Windows 7 mode. By opening the Microsoft One, users are magically taken right into a full laptop experience, complete with the full powered Windows 7 operating system. The Microsoft One features a full keyboard, which makes creating content easier than ever. Like magic, Windows 7 gives users complete access to their Slate applications by way of the Windows Slate Dock. Everything in Windows Slate OS is “shared” with Windows 7, making the entire experience completely seamless.
A magical feature is the ability to connect these slate devices to other PC’s and XBOX’s in your home. During the live demonstration at CES, Steve Ballmer showed how easy it was to make a movie using Widows Live Movie Maker. Then as if magic, closed the Microsoft One, and the video started playing on the Slate Screen. As if that wasn’t enough, Steve Ballmer then pressed “Send to XBOX”, and the 1080p HD TV started playing the movie instantly.
Microsoft Office Slate
Microsoft also announced Microsoft Office Slate, a truly revolutionary version of Microsoft Office that has been developed from the ground up for the Microsoft Slate 7 OS. The new Office allows users to use the Slate Pen to handwrite notes, write emails, and also use their fingers to control menus. Voice commands are also leveraged to allow users to easily dictate emails, read emails, and fully engage with their devices. Microsoft Office Slate truly makes Microsoft One a business productivity juggernaut.One new application making its debut in Microsoft Office Slate is Microsoft Sense. Microsoft Sense “listens” to your meeting, taking notes for you as the meeting progresses. Sense also “researches” information in the background, putting everything at your fingertips.
A truly magical moment was the display of the “Sense Bar”. The Sense Bar pulled information from all over the internet, corporate file system, and SharePoint servers using Microsoft FAST technology, and provided the meeting attendee rich information to make better decisions and commentary based on the meeting.
Availability
Almost stealing a page from Steve Jobs, Ballmer had a “one more thing” moment. Steve Ballmer announced the availability and sale of the device on February 1st, 2011, with Manufactures Samsung, HP, and Dell all releasing versions on sale ONLY at the Microsoft Store’s and Best Buy.“This is a truly magical device that Bill Gates himself has been extremely passionate about for over a decade. The technology is finally here to allow Microsoft to bring to the world the world’s first mobile content creation, and content consumption device on the planet that works the way you want it to work.” said Ballmer.
Features
- Incredible Performance
- Beautiful Super AMOLED Screen Featuring Microsoft RAZOR Technology
- Dual Slate OS and Windows 7 functionality with Microsoft BRIDGE Technology
- Built-In 5 Megapixel HD Camera
- Microsoft Courier Pen for easy content creation in Slate mode
- XBOX 360, Kinect, Homegroup, Windows Live Integration
Pricing & Availability
- $699 for 64GB WiFi Version – February 1st, 2011
- $899 for 128GB WiFi Version – February 1st, 2011
Final Thoughts
As a Microsoft MVP and someone that has devoted most of their career to focusing on Microsoft Products, I have had a unique opportunity to meet with the people that make Microsoft one of the most phenomenally amazing companies in the world. The talent some of these people have and vision is absolutely stunning. Microsoft is more than capable on delivering on the vision of unifying content creation and consumption on a mobile device. It remains to be seen if the company’s leaders enable this talent to deliver on such a product like the Microsoft One. It remains to be seen if Microsoft can continue to be a consumer electronics visionary and leader, or will let Apple takeover the Keynote at CES 2012.Windows Phone 7 Launches Tomorrow
Topics: Microsoft, Windows Phone 7
Mark the date in your calendar, October 11th, 2010. Microsoft is ready to take the wrapping off their newly designed mobile platform. I’ve been lucky enough to get access to the phone earlier than most thanks to Imaginet and Microsoft, and I have to say: It’s a winner and going to change the game!There are a couple of reasons I love the phone and strongly believe you will see Microsoft gain incredible market share in the first year. Watch the live event on October 11th, 2010 at 8:30am CST, and for now check out the 10 reasons I love the phone:
- Enterprise class phone. Multiple Exchange and other email accounts. Calendars that work flawlessly and ridiculously easy to read.
- Metro UI. Did you know it was designed by a Canadian? Anyway Metro UI is so easy to use, so easy to read, it’s the interface you always wanted for a phone.
- Beautiful Phones! It’s all about options! Some people like slide-out keyboards, some don’t. Some like HTC, some like SAMSUNG. Windows Phone is truly YOUR phone.
- Hubs. They rule and save you from loading 7 applications to do a simple task. The People hub is by far mu favorite, and is basically contacts done right! You’ll see what I mean tomorrow.
- Unique. The entire “experience”, from the hardware, the UI, the development story, the complete experience is unlike anything you will experience with any other phone. Microsoft has taken a huge risk, and completely reinvented the Mobile OS.
- Developers, Developers, Developers, Developers! There are millions of .net developers that can easily learn to create applications that run on the Windows Phone 7 Platform.
- Games Games Games. XBOX Live is on the phone. There are so many high quality games coming to this phone it’s ridiculous. Stay tuned.
- Microsoft Controlled Updates. When Microsoft pushes out an update, everyone gets an update! This is just not so with Android. On the Android phone’s you are forced to wait until your carrier updates your phone.
- Marketplace and ZUNE. The Microsoft Marketplace is freaking awesome. You get one place to easily manage your media
- Central Hub! If you run Windows 7, have a PC, have an XBOX 360, use exchange at the office, have a ton of Music and Videos, and maybe even have Media Center, this is the phone for you! It truly centralizes all your content in one easy to use device.
Watch the Windows Phone 7 Launch Event Live Tomorrow!
I will be tweeting the event as well, so make sure you let me know what you think! @miguelcarrasco
Make Your Software Development Team Agile
Agile seems to be the most popular set software development methodologies today. But how do you actually implement agile? How do you ensure your software development team is running lean? Is your software being developed iteratively?
TeamPulse is an awesome product that is being released later this month that combines agile and lean best practices enabling your development team to plan software development projects in full detail. To take it a step further, the tool even lets to measure specific results so you can make improvements and enhancements to the project and your team. I personally love the project dashboards that’s give you a really quick snapshot view of your projects at a high level.
I could talk about this tool forever, but Joel Semeniuk, VP Telerik Team Productivity Division will actually be demonstrating the tool on July 27th, 2010 via live webinar. With over 15 years of experience, Joel specializes in helping organizations around the world realize their potential through maturing their software development and information technology practices. This is going to be an awesome webinar. Make sure your register and send the link to your friends.
Register for TeamPulse Demo here
TeamPulse is an awesome product that is being released later this month that combines agile and lean best practices enabling your development team to plan software development projects in full detail. To take it a step further, the tool even lets to measure specific results so you can make improvements and enhancements to the project and your team. I personally love the project dashboards that’s give you a really quick snapshot view of your projects at a high level.
I could talk about this tool forever, but Joel Semeniuk, VP Telerik Team Productivity Division will actually be demonstrating the tool on July 27th, 2010 via live webinar. With over 15 years of experience, Joel specializes in helping organizations around the world realize their potential through maturing their software development and information technology practices. This is going to be an awesome webinar. Make sure your register and send the link to your friends.
Register for TeamPulse Demo here
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