At 4:13:02pm, the Applied XML Developer’s Conference has sold out (again). Eric Hayes, the VP of Development from You Software, Inc. was the last lucky attendee. Welcome, Eric!
I think I heard the term “delighted” from Steve Ballmer about what we want customer reaction to be to our software and I am very delighted to be using Media Center Edition 2005. I was a user of 2004 for a number of months and liked it, but there are so many little new things in 2005 that I keep finding every day. For example:
When I wanted to add songs from a network share, I could do that from within MCE05. In MCE04, I had to build the play list in WMP before those files were accessible.
I hate flipping channels, but I wanted to veg in front of the TV, so I went to My TV and saw a new Movies section, that let me see what movies were playing right now and what movies were coming up next. I picked the one I wanted and I was watching it, just that easily.
Digging around the online features, I found a ton of Internet radio stations that integrate right alongside my FM presets, including some Electro stations (I always knew that I liked the theme song to Mortal Kombat and now I know what to call it : ).
The general quality of the TV and DVD output is *much* improved and, with the extra amenities, I could see this being the first choice TV experience.
Once I had the codecs installed, all of the wacky videos I’ve collected over the years (hey! this is a family blog! get your mind out of the gutter!) like The Phantom Edit and the original Dawn of the Dead (available for free download legitimately) just worked, even though they were on a network share, too.
My sister-in-law wanted me to tape a bunch of episodes of Inhale to burn to DVD and I’m well on my way to doing that (don’t tell her, though — it’s an XMas present). I couldn’t imagine what I’d have to do to get the episodes onto DVD from my ReplayTV box (old model — no network connection) but with MCE05, they’re just files that the latest DVD burning software supports.
A new, free aquarium screen saver just when the last of the free carnival fish died. How could they have known?!?
I’ve already got my MCE Extender on order so that I can see about sharing this experience into other TVs in my house. Windows Media Center Edition 2005 is Highly Recommended.
As is always the case, tons of things are coming together at the last moment for the 5th DevCon:
Received Tim Ewald’s flight arrangements so that I can pick him up on the way to the conference
Don “XML” is going to make sure that Tim Bray gets to the Portland Nerd Dinner and to the conference in time for his keynote address
T-shirts on their way
Proceedings printed and in my garage
Maps printed so that I can find my way (haven’t been there in years and years)
Brothers Sells excited about the extra days off from school so that they can hang at the Skamania Lodge (although I’m pretty sure they’re expecting to be able to play their Gameboys the entire time : )
Microphones, podium, projector and project screens arranged for speakers
Wireless Internet access and power arranged for attendees (and speakers)
All but a handful of seats filled in our expanded space (8 seats left)
Like everyone else in the blogespher, I installed Google Desktop Search last week. And, after using it a few times, I've uninstalled it. Jim’s right; X1 kicks its butt.
“How many software developers at Microsoft consider themselves artists first, and software developers second?”
This is the thing that separates today’s Windows software from tomorrow’s. IMO, this is the line between Windows Forms and Avalon. The former is hands down the best way for software engineers to build professional UIs that we’re familiar with under Windows today. The latter is for artists to build things we’ve never seen before. I know this is scary for software engineers who don’t know how to be artists (lord knows I don’t) and for companies that don’t have artists (better get some), but crossing this line is necessary to get from the best of today to the promise of tomorrow for Windows.
