microsoft | iface thoughts

May 11, 2009

Already Seeing Worst Of Double Standards

We have already started to see the worst of living with more than one standard to do the exact same thing. Excel 2007 SP2’s ODF support has degraded, because it is no longer interoperable. Microsoft, a company, which values backward compatibility over anything else, does not worry about interoperability when implementing ODF support. [Continue]

Apr 18, 2009

Microsoft Open Sources Common Compiler Infrastructure

Microsoft has open sourced the Common Compiler Infrastructure (CCI) via CCI: Metadata and CCI: Code and AST components. Like other Microsoft’s open source entries, these two are offered under the Microsoft Public License. The metadata and code components together can write CLR assemblies and debug (PDB) files. [Continue]

Apr 2, 2009

Microsoft Opens Up ASP.NET MVC

Microsoft has opened up ASP.NET MVC under its Microsoft Public License, a valid open source license. As Miguel de Icaza says, Microsoft contributing to open source is a good news for everyone. And with Mono, ASP.NET can go cross platform as well. [Continue]

Mar 20, 2009

IE8 Is Here

Microsoft IE8 is finally here, popular opinion is that it will find its users only amongst the existing IE users. IE8 is not trying to appeal to users of its competitors. However, I sincerely hope that it at least appeals to IE6 users enough to make it extinct soon. [Continue]

Mar 15, 2009

Being Compatible With IE8’s Compatibility View

IE8 is almost like two different browsers - one in the backward compatibility mode, and the other in standards compatibility mode. The unfortunate part is the IE8 using the compatibility view is not the same as its predecessor IE7. There is a good news that IE8 is CSS 2.1 compliant and that it does offer a standards mode. [Continue]

Mar 11, 2009

Future Of Microsoft’s Browser

Microsoft’s browser seems to be scheduled for heavy changes. Not only does Windows 7 allow the user to switch off IE8, there are rumours that IE8 might be the end of Trident - rendering engine. While Microsoft has fought to ensure that IE8 is more compatible with its past mistakes than with standards, a news that future versions of IE might move to a different rendering engine is conflicting. [Continue]

Feb 16, 2009

IE8 To Have Compatibility View To Beat The Standards

Microsoft seems to be hell bent on making the standards secondary in the name of compatibility. Not a while back, Microsoft had agreed to use the standards mode by default for IE8 after many had opposed the degradation. If enough users vote a site into IE7 compatibility mode, it will be displayed using that, even if it was built using the standards. [Continue]

Feb 5, 2009

Microsoft Can Start With Open Source For Smaller Elements

Charles Babcock has a long article about why Microsoft has no alternative but to make Windows open source to compete with Linux and the likes. However, going open source will require a huge shift in Microsoft’s approach, strategies and its business plan. The current approach, whether it is about OS editions or application upgrades, is so woven around licenses and restrictions that currently it is the exact opposite of the open source model. [Continue]

Dec 10, 2008

Oxite - Microsoft’s CMS Platform

Microsoft has released Oxite - an open source, standards compliant and highly extensible content management platform (via Amit). Also, Oxite is being marketed as a blogging engine. However, the language used seems to put it more as a CMS platform targeted towards developers than a blogging engine for the end users. [Continue]

Oct 29, 2008

Windows Live Will Soon Work As Your OpenID

You will soon have your Windows Live ID work as an OpenID. Though many have supported OpenID, it is commendable that the Windows Live team has announced the commitment and has invited feedback. As a provider, this is one of the best things you can do, involve the user in making the system more usable. [Continue]