Todd Bishop, one of the best blogging journalists I should add, has composed an interesting collection of popular keywords used in approximately 90 documents (speeches, memos, emails, interviews) spanning the three decades of Microsoft history. The way he presented the information is fun and easy to use, in pure Web 2.0 tradition, complete with custom controls and tag-clouds.

Through this, Todd has also published several rare documents from the early year of Microsoft including this gem from 1980, “Microsoft Consumer Products continuing the Microsoft tradition“, a magazine advertisement. (Pictured right)

Highlights from this document showing a very young and naive Microsoft include:

Little did they know that the advantage from this ‘extra knowledge’ would be later deemed illegal and become one of the most famous lawsuits in history.

Back in the days when software was written by a single programmer and came with printed documentations, beyond those found today which removes liability for death and the like from using the software. The definition of “can afford” must have also changed during the last 30 years.

The good ol’ days when games were as simple as avoiding hazards, adversaries and killer dwarves. Oh how it captured our imaginations at the time. Thank god the days of imitation or incomplete softwares are over, when companies accused each other of copying each other delivering products which did not fulfill the expectations of the customer.

Can’t wait to see how stupid we are today after the next 30 years. 🙂
Speaking of 30 years, Apple has something to say too.

So the moment of truth has arrived. For those of you who missed all the locomotion last week, this is one of the several machines the Free Software Foundation sent out to bribe bloggers with. It comes preloaded with Windows Vista to expose what a terrible operating system it is. Just kidding. Disclosure: This is a review unit from Microsoft.

The machine comes from an unreleased range of Windows Vista Premium-Ready PCs by Velocity Micro, who builds state-of-the-art custom computer systems including gaming, media, office, mobile, business and media center PCs. This is the same machine Chris Morley, director of product development has been touting as the ‘ultimate media center’ on the Velocity Micro Blog last year.

As I’ve been informed by Microsoft, some of these review units have been damaged during freight, including mine. This may be a problem caused by either Velocity Micro or DHL. Nevertheless, the problem will be fixed. I’ve reviewed as much as I can with what I can do, that is turning it on and watching lights blink and fans spin. A replacement unit is on its way.

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In a surprising coincident of events, Microsoft makes a funny about Office in the patent application, “Methods and systems for providing a customized user interface for viewing and editing meta-data” filed on June 24, 2005. Nice to see someone has a sense of humor applying for patents. 🙂

I wonder why such a feature isn’t in Office 2007. 🙁

Cartoon by Hugh MacLeod, gapingvoid.

There’s a blogsphere fever going around called the “five things you didn’t know about me” meme. Basically, every blogger who has been picked writes five things which might not be known about themselves, then publish it with five other blogger’s names. Then it goes on and on and on. I’ve been out of the loop a bit, but since Mauricio Freitas, Chris Haaker and Hugo Ortega have all tagged me, I feel obliged to comply.

1. I came to Australia not knowing a single word of English.
2. I’ve never received a score better than C+ in any of my English classes during primary and secondary education.
3. I played a lot of and quite well in Counter-Strike.
4. I’m camera shy.
5. I’ve never used more than 50% of any hard drive capacity. (I’ll never win this Seagate contest)

That’s all from me. I’m going to tag Sean Alexander, Mary Jo Foley, Ed Bott, Robert McLaws and Brandon LeBlanc.

First post in 07. Happy new year. 😉

I made several mistakes on the Wednesday, 27th of December 2006. One of which included accusing Barb Bowman of receiving an Acer Ferrari 5000 laptop from Microsoft and AMD. Later, I recognized I had made a mistake.

It’s true, I misunderstood information and did not verify my facts. Barb Bowman did not receive her Ferrari laptop computer from Microsoft. She did however receive it from AMD, but in a separate deal unrelated to the Microsoft review PC program. The machine she did receive from Microsoft as part of the review program was the Velocity Micro Media Center, which she fully disclosed in her post.

Since, she has received numerous threatening emails and comments on her blog as a result of my inaccurate information. I have caused her grief and other intangible losses which I cannot restore. Therefore, I’d like to make a public apology to her to reach out to those who’s made accusations against her based on incorrect information.

On the topic of threatening emails, I’m also the lucky recipients of many. Apparently, I’ve compromised my editorial integrity and objectivity, which I’ve never felt I had. You should probably stop reading this blog now.

The following article is based on a patent application currently under review. It discloses information and/or concepts which may or may not be actually implemented in future products. Parental guidance for ignorant readers is advised.

Windows Vista brings a feature we all love to show off, Flip 3D. A new way to organize and sort windows through a 3D interface resembling much to a ferris wheel. Whether or not it actually increase productivity requires more public feedback or even scientific testing, but it’s pretty at least. However in a patent application filed during January 2005, and only made publically available today, it reveals a windows navigation concept appropriate named “x-ray browsing” which might have been many of the alternatives under consideration for a feature like Flip 3D.

Simply put, it makes windows transparent. I know what you’re thinking, transparent windows, that’s nothing new. Well you’re right, and this patent specifically states that “most existing operating systems have functionality to control the opacities of windows and third party software exists that allows users to manually change the opacity of a single window.” (Ex. Martin’s Transparent Windows app). This patent isn’t about making windows transparent, it’s about a new way of navigating windows.

“Window selection interfaces have been proposed to minimize the necessity to sort through the various open windows.” Currently, we have many forms of windows navigation. On Windows, there was the Alt-Tab, taskbar buttons and even the task manager list. In Mac OS X, there was the Apple-Tab, the Dock and now Expose. Whilst Expose is great because it exposes all window simultaneously, however shrinking windows to all fit on the desktop would prohibit users from viewing fine details in each window which might be relevant to choose a specific window.

There is therefore a need for a method to allow users to quickly scan through open windows one at a time. According to one aspect of the invention, all but one of the open windows is made transparent. The remaining window, which is in focus, is made opaque and therefore clearly visible. In response, to a command, windows can be navigated through where each input causes a window previously not in focus to be in focus and become opaque, and causes the window in focus at the time of the command to become transparent. Thus, at all times during navigation, a single window is opaque and the other windows are transparent. This can be referred to as x-ray browsing.

“FIG. 2A illustrates a display screen 200 with multiple open windows overlapping each other.” This is the standard windows view. Windows overlapping windows. You can find it in ever graphical operating system.

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