I couldn’t have picked a more exciting time to join Microsoft. .NET 4 Beta 2 and the first version of Visual Studio to use WPF were both just released, MSDN has been relaunched with a better theme and content, and today, Windows 7 officially hit the stores.
Windows 7 is, to me, the most exciting release of Windows since Windows 95. While I’m one of those folks who never ran into any real issues on Vista, I can’t help but appreciate all the speed and usability enhancements, as well as the general crispness of our new OS. It’s products like these that make me proud to work at Microsoft.
Congratulations to the teams that made Windows 7 and .NET 4 possible.
Upcoming Videos and Tutorials
On the run up to PDC, I’ll be putting out some blog posts on new fun and useful things for developers on Windows 7 and .NET 4. Blog posts will be here, and videos will be on WindowsClient.net. Stay tuned and subscribe to my blog here and follow me on twitter for the announcements.
Free Windows 7 Developer Bootcamp at PDC
One way to get really jumpstart your Windows 7 development is to attend the free developer bootcamp at this year’s PDC. The bootcamp is the day before the PDC and is free. Space is limited, so be sure to sign up. I’m especially excited about the shell integration and the sensor and location API.
You can find more details on the bootcamp in both Tim Sneath’s post and Jaime Rodriguez’s post. That’s a serious amount of free there. If you’re going to the PDC or are just in the area, it would be crazy to pass it up.
Speaking of PDC, if you’re attending, check out the track of Windows 7 sessions. There’s a ton of great content in there, and since it’s the PDC, you know it’s going to be both high quality and technically deep.
Show me your App at PDC
I’ll be at the PDC this year with an HD video camera. I’m interesting in interviewing you and seeing your Windows applications (WPF, Windows forms, C++) in action. It doesn’t need to use the latest or greatest version of our tools, it just needs to be an app you’re proud of.
If you have something to show that you or your team wrote, bring it with you and email me at Pete.Brown /AT\ Microsoft.com so I can meet up and talk to you about it. Nothing super fancy, just 10-15 minutes of you and me talking about something you think is cool. Email me sooner rather than later to make sure we reserve a slot.
Kindle App for Windows
If you’re a fan of ebooks, but haven’t yet sprung for a Kindle, be sure to sign up for the Kindle for PC beta. This will allow you to read Kindle books on your Windows PC. Of course, with touch, font rendering enhancements, and all the other improvements in 7, the PC finally becomes a viable ebook reading platform that both looks and feels natural.
Feed Me
Oh, and if you’re in Japan, be sure to snag one of the Windows 7 Whoppers (preferably follows by 777 minutes on a treadmill <g>)
And while you’re on that treadmill, revisit Tim Sneath’s Windows 7 Secrets blog post from January to bone up on shortcuts and lots of hidden gems in Win7. Keep in mind it was written on an early rev of Win7, but many/most still apply.