personally, i don't care about Windows on a tablet ... i develop software and create graphics using a 24" monitor ... i don't like seeing full screen anything. Windows 8 is a disaster for serious content creators and productivity professionals like me.
Intel App Framework v2.0 (formerly known as jqMobi) has been released. This JavaScript framework enables web developers to build highly customizable and feature-rich mobile websites that run on iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry and Windows mobile devices. Note: I'm not affiliated with Intel or this project -- i'm just a happy developer that uses this library. If you're looking to build interactive websites that run on a wide range of mobile devices, you should definitely check this out.
good read. My only comment is that the primary reason Flat Design has become vogue today is because Microsoft bet big on this design for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. And, before that, Zune made this design popular within MS.
quote from the article:
"I’d pay 20-50% more for products just to avoid the inconvenience (and corresponding delay) in going to a physical store, like Target."
I suggest having a close look at jqMobi (Intel App Framework). It's basically a streamlined version of jQuery plus a lightweight mobile specific framework (2 core js files). Together, these files let you build mobile websites or native mobile apps +PhoneGap for iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry. I'm personally using it and so far, i'm very impressed. http://app-framework-software.intel.com/
That was my post on Stackoverflow (acturbo). I did in fact get icons from icomoon working properly on WP8 (HTC 8x). My same web site looks the same on WP8, iPhone, Android and iPad. Let me share 2 comments: 1) i only tried icomoon, and 2) i used only 1 embedded font.
I use jqMobi, now called Intel App Framework, to build a mobile website that targets all major mobile browsers. The jqMobi framework includes ~70 icons from icomoon embedded into its ui CSS. I needed a few more, so I initially tried to extend that by making another font file called icomoon-extra, uploading it to http://www.motobit.com/util/base64-decoder-encoder.asp to produce the base64 string and adding another @font-face to the jqMobi CSS. That didn't work for me, so i simply created a new icomoon-ac file that includes most of the original icons from the jqMobi icomoon selection, plus another ~30 or so icons that i needed. Now, i just use my icomoon-ac font in the framework and it works.
Regarding jqMobi, I absolutely love this framework. Much like the author of the original article, i looked at a bunch of frameworks. jQuery Mobile was my initial "no brainer" choice but it quickly lost favor with me because it was very difficult to customize. They really screwed it up, IMO. I looked at wink, joApp, dhtmlx, unify, uranium, embedjs, enyo, lungo, the-m-project, mobl, barleyjs, limejs, joshfire, lavaca, xui, zepto, chocolatechip, jQT, iUI. I ended up standardizing on jqMobi because it was based on a stripped down version of jQuery and it added a very logical and flexible framework for building mobile websites.
This is very cool. My only comment, i would consider changing or adding to your description, "Present any website without additional software!" something like, "remote website presentations - nothing to install". It took me a bit to grasp why this tool would be useful. It's for doing remote website-only presentations.
yes, that's just part of the problem, and it is a big issue seeing as i have a 24" monitor. The crux of the problem is that there is no way to fully disengage from Metro. Yes, you can get to your old desktop and fine, there is no Start button (not ideal, but not the end of the world). This is fine until you use some of the built-in Windows apps/features that jolt you back into Metro mode. If i can run Windows 8 -exactly- like Windows 7, then there would be no issues. Side note, i actually like the Metro UI, it looks refreshing and interesting. However, it's simply unusable to people that are used to having 3-7 windows open/apps running at any given time. Power users, developers, designers, engineers, etc. ... people that use various apps to "produce" content will struggle with Windows 8. Now, if you're primarily a consumer of content, that's a different story and i can't speak to that on a desktop. Personally, I use my iPad to consume content and that's been a pleasant surprise.
unfortunately yes, when i have to interact with someone posting nonsense, the result is sometimes ugly. On another note, it would be good to see the same level of scrutiny shown towards my rebuttal, be applied to the original reply of my post about "Google Chromebook", which is right up there with the price of tea in China.
Thanks for correcting my grammar. As for a 3 year old using Windows 8, well, thanks for giving me yet another reason not to use Windows 8. Good to hear that you and the 3 year old are having success with it.
Yes, too late for Windows 8. I worked at Microsoft, i know something about release cycles and sales cycles and basically, i can spot the BS and back peddling in the MS press releases because i sat in on enough meetings that drafted that nonsense. And actually, if Google Chromebook is a failure, that fact (i have no idea if it is or isn't a failure) does nothing to support your red herring comment. In case you can't follow that, I'll spell it out for you, accepting your alleged claim that a competing OS is failing (in this case, Chromebook) should, in fact, help sell more units of competing offers, including Windows 8. Yet, the Windows 8 numbers are still way, way off. Windows 8 is a complete and total mess on the desktop. Yes, i bought the upgrade (MS alumni discount), installed it, fought it for 2 frustrating weeks, and eventually flattened my drive back to Windows 7. You think i'm jumping to 8.1 anytime soon? Uh, no. I'm a developer and overall power user, so please spare me the "you were using it wrong" comments.
Also, selling 100 million units of Windows 8 is considered a failure at MS.
Your blog post is really lousy overall. I can't believe you thought it would be a good idea to not only vent your thoughts on your personal blog, but then share that post on this forum, which is filled with the very people you critique. Your arguments are flat out wrong for claiming that side projects are a "problem". Besides the lousy points offered, the article came off as whiny. I suspect that the people you work with would be embarrassed to read it. I would be.
Other people have already made great comments here. I just wanted to point out that side projects are how people learn new things and new technologies. Most side projects are never finished, nor do they make it to market. However, the process of working on the project was in itself beneficial as a learning tool. New technologies and new techniques get explored and tested, all during off hours. And guess who benefits from that?
Employers could consider these options ...
- hire people that find the day time work to be interesting enough (i.e. don't hire superstars thinking they will bring sparkle to boring work)
- provide good incentives to keep people focused on their day job
- openly support side projects, people will respect that and give back to you
(don't make people stress about working on a side project)
- get involved with side projects and offer whatever you can to help
- partner with people in their ventures, their idea may be better than yours
- directly sponsor internal side projects that people can work on and vent their need to create/explore etc.
Using the same ThinkPad w500 for 4+ years, running 1920 x 1200 resolution.
I'm utterly fed up with the consumerization of power notebooks at the expense of the needs of productivity workers.
The last few years have been an outright de-evolution of screen resolutions for laptops ... i'm still waiting for a clear upgrade path.
I'm a technology marketing specialist. I design graphics and develop software and websites using Adobe Creative Suite, Visual Studio, and various other apps that require lots of screen real estate. It seems like computer companies think everyone buys notebooks to watch movies.
There are a millions of power users that require high resolution notebooks including engineers, CAD/CAM designers, architects, graphic designers, developers, etc. These groups form the best litmus test for determining quality wrt high-end technology.
And these groups are being alienated by technology companies -- both software and hardware. This includes the latest Windows 8 craptaculous dr. jekyll mr. hyde release, along with the numerous laptop vendors all trying to shove consumer-focused technology down the throats of power users that primarily use technology to PRODUCE THINGS.
The most insulting and infuriating thing is that the ThinkPad brand in particular grew famous from the loyalty of power-users like me. And instead of listening to us and delivering products that meet and exceed our needs, Lenovo (and other manufacturers) blindly chase after new consumer oriented customers at our expense.
The marketing morons at these companies (i know their "work" very well) are focused on generating growth and chasing after new markets -- at all costs. That's fine. Create a new brand to do that.
My advise to manufacturers of high-end products for long-term success:
- Create new brands to enter new markets
- Deliver high-end products that meet/exceed the needs of your most demanding customers
- Evolve core brands CAREFULLY
- If you don't use the product as your demanding customers do, then you don't understand the product, so you should not make drastic decisions that affect it