I’ve been a programmer for going on 10 years now. I’ve mostly been doing .NET development because that came fairly easy to me. I’ve done non-.NET programming on the side (i.e. HTML5, iOS, etc) but the bulk of my experience lies in .NET. I’ve been butting heads with Microsoft lately because I don’t like the direction they are moving with their desktop and mobile technology.
I’m not a fan of Windows 8. I haven’t been since I saw it the first time in beta. I’ve tried it on several occasions in stores and laptops of co-workers and friends. Every time I’ve tried it I have never liked it. The only functionality of Windows 8 that doesn’t bother me is functionality that is already in Windows 7 so in my opinion there is no need for me to warrant paying to upgrade. I give that same advice to everyone else I speak to (which isn’t just limited to friends and family, but work colleagues as well).
This presents a conundrum because as a .NET developer its important to be on the “bleeding” edge. I won’t kowtow to everything Microsoft produces just because “they are Microsoft and can do no wrong”. On the other hand, how can I move forward in my career when I don’t agree with the direction the technology is moving? To be fair, I would feel the same if it were something Apple or Google were doing that I didn’t agree with. I know I’ve had my resistances to Microsoft in my past but I would like people to believe me when I say that its not just because its Microsoft.
I will accept the premise that my “concerns” with Windows 8 are personal but I feel that I can separate personal and professional opinions. With that said, even in my professional opinion I disagree with the Windows 8 desktop look-and-feel. The desktop UX should be distinctly different then a tablet UX and combining them was a mistake that hasn’t even been corrected in Windows 8.1 (which many people are calling the Coca-Cola Classic of the Windows desktop but without the revival).
Can I weather this until the next version of Windows? If so, how?
Issue 91: Greetings Ghoulish Gamers! Halloween is just around the corner, do you have all your ghoulish plans ready to go? Perhaps your plans involve a little gaming while the kids are out getting their trick-or-treating on; or perhaps you have to man the door waiting for the arrival of this years lot of cosplay potentials? If sugar-seeking rugrats are keeping you from your favorite MMO, perhaps you will be able to check out these headlines (from your handy smart phone or tablet) while you wait.
I cannot believe we are still having a spat over the name of the Washington Redskins! The team has been known as the Redskins since 1933! Since you’re probably too obtuse to do the math, that’s 80 years folks!! Are we really still hoping to change the name of a team that has been around for 8 decades? The thing that really grinds my last nerve about this, its not even the Native Americans that are relentlessly bitching about this!
The new iOS 7 has been live for a few weeks now and
We are about two weeks into WoW’s last big content patch for the current expansion. This patch included a new island called the Timeless Isle which is littered with elites and rare mobs. I have been actively completing the daily/weekly quests and killing rare mobs often on two toons since the patch dropped and I’ve got to say, I’m unimpressed.