The power of software! Windows Mobile strategy should be like Windows on the desktop… built the fundamentals stuff and allow all 3rd parties to easily program / customise areas like home page navigation (giving different phone manufacturer / carriers some areas to be unique / creative), skinning the apps layer but not changing the behaviour as that would be inconsistent and with the app store thingy, give 100% profit to developers as Microsoft charges a license for the OS anyway… that would fuel the ecosystem!!!

Windows Mobile 6.5 – 7… where are you? 

Now… he’s out on bail!!! Come on… get ready to see him disappear!!!

Here’s a great summary list of Windows 7 feature list from Paul Thurrott SuperSite for Windows… I am been using Windows 7 on my home machine and laptop for the last 4 days now and it’s been pleasantly surprising to me how stable and better it is compare to Vista SP1. Granted, there are still some issue since this is pre-beta build like the sleep feature on the laptop does not work and the Aero glass has some quirks in it from time to time (turning to black color bar instead, though still with Aero on)… The rest of the new features, particular Libraries… I just love it!

Can’t wait for the actual beta release early next year…  

The question after this video is how usable is Windows 7 after entering the desktop? Hope the 3rd state that was brought up on the services’ enable, disable, delay thingy will help make the desktop usable.

That should be the ultimate verdict, though it seems to improve significantly on the boot time… can’t wait. Downloading the M3 6801 build now…

The biggest news this week is all Microsoft PDC (professional developer conference) 2008 and here’s the quick link to the different news / previews on the much anticipated Windows 7 and the Azure (Windows in the cloud thingy).

Paul Thurrott’s preview of Windows 7

10 best features in Windows 7 for IT professionals

Ray Ozzie steers Microsoft into the cloud

Microsoft lays out Silverlight Ambitions

Activewin review Windows 7 Pre-beta M3 Build 6801 – “… It’s safe to say I am overwhelmed, overjoyed and most of all excited about Windows 7. This is the release of Windows everybody has been waiting for, it’s what Vista was meant to be and beyond that. Windows 7 puts the user first; it’s about going back to the fundamentals of what an operating system must do. Managing and maintaining your PC is exceptionally seamless in Windows 7 and users will appreciate the tremendous improvements and advancements this update will offer on both existing and new hardware form factors in the future. Windows Vista set the foundation for a lot of what is happening in Windows 7 today. Windows 7 makes security Essential, but not aggressive like Windows Vista. The improved UAC will no doubt give consumers confidence in this feature, just the fact that you can tweak it to a certain degree is a welcome change. Businesses will appreciate the improvements to how the OS is managed and deployed while mobile users can get better experiences between their work and home environments. Home Networking has finally reached a level of ease of use that will make even the novice to make those PCs in the home talk to each other. There is still a lot of work to be done as this early glimpse shows. But Microsoft is on the right path with Windows 7, focusing on ease of use, compatibility, better ways of interacting with the PC and managing the personal data. This is an upgrade I am looking forward to and you should too.”

ExtremeTech review Windows 7 – “…

If Windows 7 is to be successful, it’s not going to be because of a set of neat new features, cool multi-touch interface additions or better integration with the Internet cloud. It will succeed because of Microsoft’s revamping of its development process, and of the new focus on quality as customers define it, not as a software engineer might define it. It’s those two changes that give Windows 7 a real shot at becoming a classic operating system, much in the way that Windows XP became.

The need for redemption is a strong driver whenever we make a mistake, real or perceived. We not only want to do better, we want others to acknowledge it. Windows 7 looks like Microsoft’s stab at redemption.”

Neowin introduction to Windows 7 UI

Here’s some video for your enjoyment :

From jkOnTheRun, a good mobile review source for gadget lovers. Here’s their video review of the new aluminium MacBook built on the Unibody process.

It’s beautiful. Well done Apple.

Boeing C-17 GlobeMaster III in action!

I can’t believe my eyes… Check it out at 1:25…

The screen resolution is probably the most desired part of the phone! The slider is nice but not ‘wow’ in any way. The shell is a nice mask for WM6.1 underneath.

But how come the screen is still not capacitive touch? Can’t WM6.1 phone use that? I mean… with a nice screen resolution / size like the Sony… a simple application tweaks can make all the buttons and scroll bars on WM6.1 large enough to be treated like an ‘iPhone’… wide enough to be used with fingers. How come? Anyone?

All MSN / Windows user out there, a must download to beef up your existing Windows application and add in new software + service stuff.

All the Live brand stuff under Microsoft umbrella got some overhaul on the UI and feature sets.

Windows Live Mail, Live Movie Maker, Live Messenger, Live Photo Gallery, Live Writer, Live Sync… and more coming.

You can download it here.