Shocker: Windows 8 is an Android killer

Developer Daniel Sharp says that working with Windows 8 is simple and enjoyable, unlike the often unpredictable Android.

I’ve just come from another testing meeting. Seven of us around a table looking at an Android app that’s in the mid-stages of development. We’ve found unique issues on each device, every device on the table was running a different version of Android, with different resolutions, capabilities and specifications. Getting this right is going to be time consuming…
 

Meanwhile, for the past seven weeks we’ve also been working on a super-secret project building magazine apps for the Windows 8 launch. In those seven weeks, we’ve managed to create a solid first version, that works across all resolutions, laptops, desktops and tablets, whether they use a touch screen, pen or mouse. Development was easy.

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What’s new for Developers in Windows 8 Release Preview

Upgrading from Windows 8 Consoler Preview to Release Preview introduces changes to Metro development, namespaces, styles names, project structures, and so much more.
If you are a developer and you are wondering what the delta really is for developers, you are in luck. The Windows team has written such a document (Migrating your Windows 8 Consumer Preview app to Windows 8 Release Preview) and it goes into incredible detail for you.

This paper provides guidance and tips for migrating code assets built using the Windows 8 Consumer Preview released in February 2012 to the Windows 8 Release Preview. It includes porting guidance, a change manifest, and helpful details for developers who are tasked with migrating apps from the Windows 8 Consumer Preview. It assumes that the reader is familiar with the Windows 8 Consumer Preview.

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Windows 8: 15 More Reasons why I choose XAML over HTML5

Metro developers building applications for Windows 8 have choices to make. A few weeks ago, I put together my top ten reasons to choose XAML. That really got me thinking. There are so many more than 10 good reasons why I prefer XAML. I thought I would continue the list.

First, let’s reflect on the first list:

It’s a nail – I am a hammer Bind to anything Resolution independency Dependency properties Platform adoption

OOP State Expression blend Debugging Vectors, vectors, vectors

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MEF for Windows 8 Metro and TPL Data Flow Moved to NuGet

Microsoft has decided to remove MEF for Windows 8 Metro and TPL Data Flow from the .NET 4.5 framework release. Instead they will be offered as NuGet packages so that improvements can be released outside of the full .NET release cycle.

This decision continues an overall trend within Microsoft’s Developer Division to move away from large development cycles. A good example of this is ASP.NET MVC. Since 2009 it has had three major releases and is on the verge of a fourth. By comparison ASP.NET WebForms has only had one release. Though the next version of WebForms contains numerous enhancements that should have been released at the same time MVC got them, Microsoft is waiting until all of Visual Studio 2012 and .NET 4.5 is ready.

A more complicated example is Entity Framework. The core of the product is still tied to .NET’s release cycle. However, many of the important features such as “Code First” are being released out-of-band via NuGet.

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The Cost of Microsoft’s Surface Tablet

Let’s just assume for a few minutes that Microsoft’s Surface tablet is as delicious as Microsoft executives made it out to be on Monday night.

Does Microsoft then have any hope of competing with the iPad on price?

Apple, for many years, had a reputation for charging a premium for its products, but the aggressiveness of its iPad pricing was a surprise to many people. In October, when I “looked at changing perceptions of Apple’s pricing, the cheapest iPad (its second-generation model) started at $499. Now that same product starts at $399, while the third-generation iPad with a high-resolution retina display starts at $499.

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What Windows 8 Haters Don’t Understand About Windows 8

Lately, I notice a strong debate about Windows 8. People tend to either hate it or love it. There are no moderate verdicts being shared. Those who hate it share mostly the same complaints, many of which I think are wrong. That’s why I decided to share my view on those arguments and what I believe is the main thing people don’t understand about Windows 8.

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