Developing Apps for Microsoft Surface, Windows 8, Windows RT and Windows Phone 8

Recently, at one of the conference i presented at Microsoft Technology center, i was asked the following questions.

• Is .NET dead? What is .NET Client profile?
• Is Windows 8 compatible with my current Windows app?
• Can I build Windows 8 Metro apps in .NET?
• Can I build apps for both Windows 8 and Windows Phone?

The following table summarizes the latest devices and their operating systems as well as the development technologies along with other useful information (for developers)

Well, here are some of the answers and commonly used Windows 8 terminology.

Windows Phone 8 now shares a common core with Windows 8. This means you can expect to write apps for one and easily port it to the other, with UI retooling of course. Developers targeting both should use C#/VB + XAML for apps, and C++/D3D for games. Portable class library definitely helps when developing for both the platforms.

The term “Metro Apps” now called “Microsoft Design Language” denotes apps that can be purchased in the official Windows App Store and that are built on top of the WinRT runtime, using either C# + XAML, or WinJS + HTML5. Even though Windows Phone features a Metro user interface (and the original one at that), the term Metro Apps does NOT apply to Windows Phone 7.5 apps.

The term “Metro Games” denotes apps that can be purchased in the official Windows App Store and that are built on top of the WinRT runtime, using Direct3D (D3D) and C++. Windows RT & Windows 8 Metro games cannot be built in XNA.

XNA can still be used to create Windows Phone 7.5, 7.8 and 8.0 games, and sold in the marketplace. You will not need to keep Visual Studio 2010 since Visual Studio 2012 and the Windows Phone 8.0 SDK will still support new development in XNA.

WinRT is the new native Runtime for Windows RT and the Metro side of Windows 8. It completely replaces .NET and Win32. Let me make this clear: If you look under the covers of WinRT, there is no .NET and no Win32, all you’ll find is the Windows Kernel. Since the only dev platform supported by Windows RT is WinRT, that means you cannot use .NET to build apps for Windows RT (or for the Metro side of Windows 8). Read this post on Paul Thurrott’s Windows Supersite for a more in-depth explanation.

WinRT is not based on .NET but you can use a subset of .NET from WinRT. Microsoft provides a subset of managed types called the .NET APIs for Metro style apps which enables .NET Framework developers to create Metro style apps within a familiar programming framework. Note that porting some .NET apps to WinRT could be trivial while others could be hard, based on which namespaces & classes you use. Check this section of the Metro style development documentation for more details.

Side-loading implicates installing non-certified applications using external media, thus bypassing the official Microsoft Windows App Store, whether it originates from a CD/DVD, USB key or web download. Note that developers can always side-load their own apps in a developer-unlocked device.

Xbox LIVE games are always platform specific. Microsoft Surface and Windows Phone both feature Xbox LIVE enabled games but this does NOT mean it runs the same Xbox LIVE Arcade games as the Xbox 360.

2D game development can also be done using the same platform as apps. For example, on Windows Phone, 2D games can be built in Silverlight and do not require XNA.

Confused about version numbers for Windows Phone? Read my blog post that demystifies it all here.

Windows 8 can also be installed on any PC running Windows 7 today, and will also come pre-loaded on future generations of OEM (Dell, HP, Lenovo, Toshiba, etc.) computers, laptops, notebooks, Ultrabooks, Netbooks and tablets. The first column applies to all these other Windows 8 computers as well.

Windows RT will also be available on third-party tablet devices offered by Microsoft’s OEM partners (Samsung, Toshiba, Lenovo, etc.) Windows RT cannot be installed manually by a consumer, it must be licensed and pre-loaded by the OEM manufacturing the tablet.

101 Questions and Answers About Windows 8

1. What tools and information do I need to develop Windows 8 Store applications?

a. Windows 8 – Download free version here

b. Visual Studio 2012 Express - Download free version here

c. Windows Phone - Download free version here

d. Windows Server 2012 – Download free version here (Optional)

e. Microsoft Virtual Academy – Register here

2. How to develop a Windows Phone 8 app in 30 days?

Register at
http://www.microsoft.com/click/services/Redirect2.ashx?CR_CC=200134727

3. For a Mac user, where can I get the free tools to build Windows Store apps for Windows 8?

Install Windows 8 and the dev tools on your Mac.

4. How to start planning now for a cloud-based backend service—user authentication, push notifications, and structured data?

Sign up for the Windows Azure 90-day Free Trial and receive 10 free Mobile Services running on shared instances.

5. Get the samples and get started!? Download the design assets—PSD assets include templates, common controls, and common components—and the sample apps pack.

6. Where to find Windows 8 Sessions and Keynotes — //BUILD Conference Site

7. Download the Bits — Windows Dev Center

8. PDF Manual — Windows Developer Preview Guide

9. Code Examples — MSDN “Metro Style” app examples (or get them all together in a Single ZIP)

10. What Devices will Run It? — List of Devices in Microsoft’s Test Lab

11. How to Install on My Machine without Losing Everything even if I don’t have Dual-Format DVDs or 8 GB Memory Sticks Handy — Installing Windows 8 Developer Preview as a Bootable VHD

12. What About Silver light? — It’s still here, with a diagram from Microsoft to prove it

13. Chat about Windows 8 or Cry for Help — MSDN Forums for Windows 8

14. What is WinRT? — Introduction to WinRT and WinRT demystified

15. Touch Input — Quickstart: Touch Input

16. Comfort Guide to Controls for Silverlight and WPF Developers — Controls List (for Xaml)

17. How do I Convert Silverlight to WinRT/Metro? — Blog Series on WinRT vs. Silverlight

18. But is Xaml REALLY There? — Yes, It Is

19. The New Architecture — Windows 8 WinRT Capabilities (Tip: Lean forward to make it look flat)

20. Platform and Tools Architecture — Windows 8 Platform and Tools (Tip: this time lean sideways)

21. Can I Borrow Someone’s Opinion? — Sure thing: Yours Truly, Michael Crump, Engadget, Wired

22. Create a bootable USB? jerrynixon.com

23. Setup boot to VHD? jerrynixon.com

24. Get an Azure account?
http://aka.ms/w8cloud

25. Get Windows 8?
http://aka.ms/w8download

26. Get Visual Studio 2012?
http://aka.ms/w8tools

27. Get Windows Live SDK?
http://aka.ms/w8live

28. Get Windows 8 Samples?
http://aka.ms/w8samples

29. Get Multilingual Toolkit?
http://aka.ms/w8language

30. Get Advertising SDK?
http://aka.ms/w8ads

31. Get Design Assets?
http://aka.ms/w8design

32. Register your App?
http://aka.ms/w8reg

33. Join 30 to Launch?
http://aka.ms/w8launch

34. View the online labs?
http://aka.ms/w8vlabs

35. Does Windows 8 run Windows 7 software? Yes

36. Does Windows 8 support .Net 4.0? Yes

37. Does WinRT replace the .Net framework? No

38. Can users re-enable the start button in Windows 8? No

39. Can enterprises disable Microsoft Design Style on their Windows 8 desktops? No

40. Will Microsoft Design Style be part of the server version of Windows? Yes

41. Do developers need two apps in the Windows 8 store to support ARM? No

42. Can apps have a hidden URL in the Windows 8 store? No

43. What is the revenue split with Microsoft for the Store? 80/20

44. Do developers need a developer account in order publish an app? Yes

45. Can developers use payment systems other than Microsoft? Yes

46. Is HTML5 and JavaScript (JS) supported in Microsoft Design Style development? Yes

47. What is the HTML rendering engine in HTML-based Microsoft Design Style apps? IE10

48. Is IE10 Microsoft Design Style the same engine as IE10 desktop? Yes

49. Can desktop applications create live tiles? No

50. Can desktop applications use WinRT? Yes

51. Can desktop HTTP end point be accessed by Microsoft Design Style apps? No

52. Can Microsoft Design Style applications access a local SQL server? No

53. Do Microsoft Design Style applications have a local database solution? Yes, Sqlite

54. Can Microsoft Design Style applications access the internet while the pc is in standby? Yes

55. Can Microsoft Design Style applications access SkyDrive? Yes

56. Can Microsoft Design Style applications iterate through the user’s hard drive? No

57. Is there a Microsoft Design Style version of windows file explorer? No, see above

58. Can Microsoft Design Style applications detect other Microsoft Design Style apps? No

59. Can more than one Microsoft Design Style application run at one time? Yes, two

60. Can push notifications execute client code? No

61. Are there background tasks in Microsoft Design Style? Yes

62. Is the performance of HTML5 Microsoft Design Style applications comparable to XAML? Yes

63. Is native code (C++) supported in Microsoft Design Style development? Yes

64. Is Microsoft Design Style C different than traditional CPP? Yes

65. Should all desktop apps be migrate to Microsoft Design Style? No

66. Will the Windows 8 store support trials? Yes

67. Will the Windows 8 store support subscriptions? No

68. Will enterprise apps deliver through the Windows 8 store? No

69. Can enterprises disable the Windows 8 store? Yes

70. Can enterprises disable side-loading of apps? Yes

71. Can apps in the Windows 8 store access desktop apps & services? No

72. Can side-loaded apps access desktop apps & services? Yes

73. Can parents disable the Windows 8 store for kids? Yes

74. Can parents limit the hours in the day their kids can log in? Yes

75. Can parents limit the cumulative time in a day kids can use the PC? Yes

76. Can parents filter available web sites? Yes

77. Can parents disable games based on their rating? Yes

78. Can Visual Studio 2010 be used to build Microsoft Design Style apps? No

79. Can Visual Studio 2012 be used to build Windows 7 apps? Yes

80. Can Visual Studio 2010 access Team Foundation Server 2012? Yes

81. Can Visual Studio 2012 open 2010 projects without altering them? Yes

82. Can Visual Studio 2010 open 2012 projects? No

83. Does the .Net 4 async keyword work in WinRT? Yes

84. Does Windows 8 WinRT code run on Windows Phone 7? No

85. Does Windows Phone 7 code run on Windows 8? Yes, some

86. Does Windows Phone 8 code run on Windows 8? Yes, more

87. Does Windows 8 code run on Windows Phone 7? Yes, some

88. Does Windows 8 code run on Windows Phone 8? Yes, more

89. Can Microsoft Design Style applications roam settings/files across desktops? Yes

90. Can desktop applications roam settings, too? No

91. Can Microsoft Design Style applications roam settings/files to Windows Phone? No

92. Can Windows Phone roam settings to Windows 8? No

93. Does Windows 8 Microsoft Design Style support XNA game development? No

94. When was Windows 8 released? Friday, October 26, 2012.

95. Win+E – Explorer

96. Win+R – Run

97. Win+D – Desktop

98. Win+Plus or Win+Minus (no shift) – Magnifier/Zoom In and Out

99. Win+F – Find Files

100. Alt-Tab – Switch between Apps

101. Win-Tab – Switch between Full Screen Apps

Free Microsoft Developer Training Kits

Windows Azure Training Kit – August 2012 REFRESH Update

The August 2012 REFRESH update of the Windows Azure Training Kit includes 42 hands-on labs, 15 demos and 38 presentations. Some of the updates in this version include:

• Added the Windows Azure Device + Services 1-day event agenda
• Added the Windows Azure ITProCamp 1-day event agenda
• Added 2 presentations designed for Windows Azure Mobile Services
• Added 15 Demos with Demo Scripts for content delivery

The previous August 2012 update of the Windows Azure Training Kit includes 41 hands-on labs and 35 presentations. Some of the updates in the version include:

• Added 7 presentations specifically designed for the Windows Azure DevCamps
• Added 4 presentations for Windows Azure SQL Database, SQL Federation, Reporting, and Data Sync
• Added presentation on Security & Identity
• Added presentation on Building Scalable, Global, and Highly Available Web Apps
• Several hands-on lab bug fixes
• Added the Windows Azure DevCamp 1-day event agenda
• Updated Windows Azure Foundation Training Workshop 3-day event agenda

Release date: 8/20/2012

Internet Explorer 10 Training Kit

This training kit covers development specifics for developers who will be targeting Internet Explorer 10 in their development experience. This kit contains documentation and details on things pertinent to developing applications that target features of the Internet Explorer 10 browser.

Release Date: 8/8/2012

Windows 8 Camp in a Box, Release Preview Edition

This download includes the hands-on-labs, presentations, samples and resources from the Windows 8 camps for developers ramping up on Metro style app development.

• Windows 8CampinaBoxJS includes the hands-on labs for those using HTML + Javascript.
• Windows8CampinaBoxCS includes the hands-on-labs that use XAML + C#.

Release Date: 7/18/2012

SQL Server 2012 Developer Training Kit

The SQL Server 2012 Developer Training Kit includes technical content designed to help you learn how to develop SQL Server 2012 database and BI solutions.

Release date: 7/16/2012

Identity Developer Training Kit

The Identity Developer Training Kit contains hands-on labs, presentations and pointers to training videos. This page contains three versions of the Identity Developer Training Kit :

• Identity Developer Training Kit (July 2012) for Visual Studio 2012 RC
• Identity Developer Training Kit (April 2011) for Visual Studio 2010 RTM
• Identity Developer Training Kit (March 2010) for Visual Studio 2008 SP1

Release Date: 7/5/2012

Web Camps Training Kit

Web Camps Training Kit May 2012 Release featuring ASP.NET MVC 4, ASP.NET 4.5, ASP.NET Web API, VS 11

Release Date: 5/9/2012

Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4 Training Kit

Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4 Training Kit December 2011 Release

Release date: 12/30/2011

Windows Phone 7.5 Training Kit

Hands on Labs for the Windows Phone 7.5 Application Platform

Release date: 12/19/2011

Visual Studio 11 Developer Preview Training Kit

Visual Studio 11 Developer Preview Training Kit December 2011 Release

Release date: 12/15/2011

Dynamics CRM 2011 Developer Training Kit

This training kit is for .NET developers to learn the development features of Dynamics CRM and help them build applications using Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 and CRM Online.

Release Date:9/6/2011

Introduction to Visual Studio Team Foundation Server 2010 Training Kit

Introduction to Team Foundation Server 2010

Release Date:8/22/2011

BizTalk Server 2010 Administrator Training Kit

This training kit contains a complete set of materials that will enable you to learn the core administrator capabilities in BizTalk Server 2010. This kit includes lab manuals, PowerPoint presentations and videos, all designed to help you learn…

Release Date:8/21/2011

BizTalk Server 2010 ESB Training Kit

This training kit contains a complete set of materials that will enable you to learn about the ESB Toolkit in BizTalk Server 2010. This kit includes lab manuals, PowerPoint presentations and videos, all designed to help you learn about the ESB…

Release Date:8/20/2011

Visual Studio LightSwitch Training Kit

Visual Studio LightSwitch Training Kit

Release Date:7/28/2011

SharePoint 2010 and Windows Phone 7 Training Kit

Provides developers with advanced guidance on how to develop Windows Phone 7 Applications for SharePoint.

Release Date:7/22/2011

BizTalk Server 2010 Developer Training Kit

This training kit contains a complete set of materials that will…developer capabilities in BizTalk Server 2010. This kit includes lab manuals, PowerPoint presentations…Virtual Machine that is ready for you to use with the training kit.

Release Date:7/18/2011

SharePoint and Windows Azure Development Kit

The July 2011 release of the SharePoint and Azure Development Kit is a training course to help developers integrate SharePoint and Windows Azure.

Release Date:7/15/2011

Office 365 Developer Training Kit – June 2011 Update

Guidance that provides developers with advanced guidance on how to develop for Office 365 including SharePoint Online, Exchange Online and Lync Online

Release Date:6/28/2011

Office 2010 Developer Training Kit – June 2011

Training kit that provides developers with collateral to get started quickly developing for Office 2010.

Release Date:6/7/2011

PHP on Windows and SQL Server Training Kit (March 2011 Update)

The PHP on Windows and SQL Server Training Kit includes a comprehensive set of technical content including demos and hands-on labs to help you understand how to build PHP applications using Windows, IIS 7.5 and SQL Server 2008 R2.

Release Date:6/6/2011

SQL Server 2008 R2 Update for Developers Training Kit (May 2011 Update)

This training kit is a great resource for developers, trainers, consultants and evangelists who need to understand…hands-on labs and videos that are perfect for self-paced learning or for conducting your own training.

Release Date:6/2/2011

SharePoint and Silverlight Training Kit

Provides developers with advanced guidance on how to develop Silverlight Applications for SharePoint.

Release Date:4/7/2011

Web Camps Training Kit

February 2011 release of the Web Camps Training Kit

Release Date:2/21/2011

Windows Phone 7 Training Kit for Developers – RTM Refresh

This Windows Phone 7 Training Kit for developers will give you a jumpstart into the new Windows Phone world by providing you with a step-by-step explanation of the tools to use and some key concepts for programming Windows Phones.

Release Date:2/3/2011

Silverlight 4 Training

Silverlight 4 Training

Release Date:12/20/2010

UC “14″ Developer Training Kit

This training kit provides deep technical training on all aspects of the Lync Server 2010 and Exchange Server 2010 SDKs to give developers the skills they need to be productive developing communications driven business processes.

Release Date:12/10/2010

Windows Server AppFabric Training Kit

This training kit contains a complete set of materials that will…capabilities in Windows Server AppFabric. The kit has two main sections, one for the AppFabric Hosting…Virtual Machine that is ready for you to use with the training kit.

Release Date:10/26/2010

What’s New in BizTalk Server 2010 Training Kit

Learn about the new features of BizTalk Server 2010

Release Date:9/23/2010

SharePoint 2010 Developer Training Kit

Guidance that provides developers with advanced guidance on how to develop for SharePoint.

Release Date:5/8/2010

Windows 7 Training Kit For Developers

The Windows 7 Training Kit for Developers includes presentations, hands-on labs, and demos designed to help you learn how to build applications that are compatible with and shine on Windows 7

Release Date:10/22/2009

Windows Server 2008 R2 Developer Training Kit – July 2009

A collection of presentations, demos, and hands-on-labs for Windows Server solution developers.

Release Date:7/20/2009

ASP.NET MVC Training Kit

ASP.NET MVC Training Kit containing: hands-on-labs, demos, decks, FAQs, etc.

Release Date:3/27/2009

Business Activity Monitoring (BAM) Training Kit

This training kit provides learning information for Business Activity Monitoring (BAM).

Release Date:8/21/2008

.NET Framework 3.5 Enhancements Training Kit

.NET Framework 3.5 Enhancements Training Kit containing Labs, Demos and PPTs

Release Date:8/11/2008

Visual Studio 2008 and .NET Framework 3.5 Training Kit

Visual Studio 2008 and .NET Framework 3.5 Training Kit containing Labs, Demos and PPTs

Release Date:11/30/2007

Received tablet (Slate) from Microsoft as part of winning the GenApp Great Slate Giveaway Competition

Microsoft sent me a Windows 8 Samsung Slate for being the first few members to successfully publish Windows Store apps at Microsoft store. The apps were available at Microsoft store even before Windows 8 GA (General Availability).

Below is the box with Windows 8 slate. It came with Digital Pen Stylet.

Figure 1: Package of Samsung Slate

Fig 2 shows the outside features of Samsung slate. 

Figure 2: Overview of the Windows 8 slate and it’s features.

Won Intel App Round 2 – AppInnovation contest Submission Award winner‏

Looks like my Windows 8 app
http://bit.ly/WinStoreApp
is winning round 2 of Intel competition.

Few days ago, i received an email from  CodeProject, mentioning that i am one of the AppInnovation contest Submission Award winner‏. See details at
http://emarketing.lakequincy.com/s/1/AIXr/9IcRHWy/6jt9d

They have put up the Winners list at
http://www.codeproject.com/script/Awards/competition.aspx?cid=598

Well, the contest was fun as there were developers participating in this competition from all over the world.

Windows 8 App developers – Identify and value your IP – free of charge

Microsoft and Inngot are implementing a new programme to support the Windows 8 community in making more of its intellectual property.

Windows 8 will be the first release to feature ‘apps’. Microsoft is looking to help app developers get off to the best possible start by understanding the full range of assets they are creating, and how much these can be worth to their business. In most cases, apps involve a bundle of IP – not just software code, but brands, distinctive designs and characters, and potentially vast user bases. Many apps have spawned entire franchises and become global properties which require careful management to protect and exploit them.

Microsoft is providing 100 members of the Elite club developing apps for Windows 8 with an opportunity to identify your intellectual property (IP) and intangible assets, and find out what they are worth – at no charge. Don’t delay – we only have 100 profiling and valuation packages on offer, and they are available on a first come, first served basis, for a limited time period. Click here to redeem your code now.

I was invited to speak at CMAP, Loyola University, Maryland

I was fortunate enough to have Central Maryland code camp team invite me to speak at the CMAP Code Camp Fall 2012 (Where Technology and People Meet).

Sessions that I am presenting are:

• Agile Scrum development using Visual Studio 2012 and TFS 2012
• End to End Windows 8 App development using C# and XAML

You can hear from other great speakers too and you can see them at
http://www.cmap-online.org/CodeCamp/Speakers.aspx

Here is my profile at CMAP code camp website.

The schedule is as follows:

The Central Maryland Association of .NET Professionals (CMAP) is holding its Fall 2012 Code Camp on Saturday, December 1st, 2012 at the Loyola University Maryland Graduate Center in Columbia, MD.

The Code Camp will run from 8:30am – 5:30pm with 20-25 awesome sessions covering a wide range of database, software and portal development topics. It’s totally free. No gimmicks. No sales pitches. Enjoy breakfast and lunch at no charge while you mingle with your peers.

Address to the code camp:

Loyola University Maryland Graduate Center
Columbia Campus
8890 McGaw Road
Columbia, Maryland 21045

To register for this event, select the registration menu option.

First Impressions of Intel Next Generation Ultrabook™ with Windows 8

Few days ago I received an Ultrabook from Intel as part of winning the Round 1 of Windows 8 & Ultrabook™ App Innovation Contest as shown in figure 1.

Fig 1: Ultrabook box

Intel sent me an Ivy Bridge Ultrabook as shown in Figure 2 to review. This Ultrabook from Intel will never be a production hardware – This laptop will never be made. It’s meant to be a reference example for hardware makers to make Ultrabooks of their own. This particular device will not be made available for purchase. So It’s just a proof of concept from Intel. The only manufacturer branding on it is Intel’s Ultrabook TM, as you can see from Fig 2.

Fig 2: Picture of Intel’s concept Ultrabook (Nice to see Intel logo on the cover)

Fig 3: Nice touch screen  (Intel Logo on the Ultrabook)

Fig 4: Ultrabook next to my existing laptops at home.

Following are my initial observations of the new “on the road laptop.”

Sensors that are present in the Ultrabook

• 5 point multi-touch screen
• Accelerometer
• Magnetometer
• Gyroscope
• Ambient light sensor
• GPS
• NFC (Near Field Communication)
• Bluetooth 4.0
• WiFi (b/g/n)

Fig 5: Sensors present in Ultrabook.

Physical Factors First:

• High Definition Web Cam
• Slot for SDHC card
• Slot for SIM Card (Yes, you can out the phone SIM card in this Ultrabook)
• Two USB-3  slots on either side
• Mini-HDMI connector
• Headphone jack
• Power Connector
• Weighs 3.5 pounds (Very very  light compared to other laptops)
• Great built-in audio

Performance Factors:

• Intel Core i7 CPU @ 2.0 GHz (Windows 8 shuts down in 2 seconds)
• 180 GB Solid State Hard Drive
• 4GB RAM

The laptop came with Windows 8 Pro which I immediately activated through MSDN and the computer was ready to go with zero adware. There was also included a 16GB thumb drive with all the drivers and everything it takes to return the machine to factory conditions which was very nice. Responsiveness and speed is amazing. The computer itself feels substantial and has a very beautiful “rubberized” top. It just looks sharp, closed or open. I read on some posts about fan being loud, but the ultra book i received is as silent as thought.

Hardware and Physical Form Factor

The Ultrabook is really thin, light, powerful, fast and run Windows 8. The book weighs in at about 3.5 pounds. On the outside it’s got 1.5MP web-cam camera, a 5-point touch screen, a mini HDMI connector port, a pair of USB 3.0 ports on either side, an HD webcam,  a headphone jack, power connector slot and a 13.3” multi-touch display. Inside, it has Intel Core i7-3667U processor (4M cache, 2.00 GHZ) which is one of the new Ivy Bridge processors, 4 GB of DDR3L RAM, a 180 GB SSD hard drive, and the following specifications (to name just a few):

• 802.11 b/g/n WiFi
• Bluetooth
• NFC
• Multi-Touch Pad
• Sensors

Activating Windows 8:

The machine came with the Windows 8 Pro (64 bit) pre-installed. Now that Windows 8 is released to manufacturing (RTM) and available to MSDN subscribers, I was able to successfully activate Windows 8 Pro through the license key obtained from my MSDN account .

TouchScreen & Sensors:

My prediction is that Touch screen is going to be the default feature like USB port in every laptop within a couple of years. A touch screen on a laptop? Why? What kind of madness is this? After using it for a while having a touch screen is a nice to have. I believe that in two to three years from now, all display devices will be touch enabled like monitors in office and laptops. Swipe in from the right to get the charms menu, in from the left to task switch and down from the top for menus and browser tabs. This is such a clean and clear extension of the “touch” experience that if I were in charge of the Windows hardware ecosystem I would require it. Pinch to zoom works as well, just as it should. I found myself using the touch screen more than I expected to. I don’t much like taking my hands off the keyboard, but once I do, the multi-touch screen is a lot more physically intuitive than a mouse, even though I have been using mice for over 20 years. It is, in any case, much more satisfying.

Most new tablets and Ultrabooks running Windows 8 are going to have a slew of sensors. Here are the sensors and other advanced features included in this proof of concept device:

• GPS (Location Sensors)
• NFC
• Multi-Touch (display and touchpad)
• Accelerometer ( acceleration along 3 axes)
• Compass (orientation and position)
• Gyro meter (angular velocity)
• Inclinometer (angle of incline)
• Light Sensor (ambient lighting)
• Orientation Sensor (combines accelerometer, compass, gyro meter to get more sensitive movement)
• Simple Orientation (orientation of the device including face up or down)

Detecting Sensors on an Ultrabook: There are a few ways in which to determine if a system supports the sensors, and if so, which sensors:

• Computer Management/Device Manager: Find the Computer Management App on the Windows UI Start Menu (if it isn’t there you can view “All Apps” by right-clicking in the window and then click on the “All Apps” icon in the lower right-hand side of the window. Once the Device Manager is up, look for “Sensors” in the device tree as shown in Figure 6.

 

Fig 6: Sensors and Proximity devices in Device Manager.

• Sensor Diagnostic Tool: If you want to get finer detail regarding each sensor and possibly even have some control over some of the sensor parameters (for testing purposes) you can run the Sensor Diagnostic Tool – it is part of the Windows Driver Kit ( WDK). The Sensor Diagnostic tool uses the Sensor and Location API for data retrieval, event handling, report intervals, changing sensitivity, and property retrieval. The tool can also be used to write the sensor data to a CSV file. I should note, however that the Sensor Diagnostic Tool really exists to aid with the development of Windows Drivers; its true use is to help with the testing and optimization of Windows Drivers. This tool can be found in the following folder once you have installed the Windows Driver Kit: C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\8.0\Tools\x86\Sesnsordiagnotictool as shown in Figure 7.

Fig 7: Sensor Diagnostic Tool (sensordiagnostictool.exe)

Figure 8 shows the Sensor Diagnostic Tool that comes with the WDK talking to this Ivy Bridge Ultrabook’s sensors:

Fig 8: Sensor Diagnostic Tool run on an Ivy Bridge Software Development Platform + USB Sensor Hub

The following table shown in Figure 9 provides information about the new sensors that are recommended for the Ultrabook (and required for convertibles). It will be up to the OEMs which sensors are included for their specific models/usages.

Fig 9: Sensor information table.

 

Performance Speed & Software Development:

This feels like a high performance machine in a small package, and an interesting middle ground between a slate and a laptop. 

• Loads Visual Studio 2012 in about 2 seconds (amazing speed) and builds of average-sized projects are also just 6 seconds on my stopwatch. Not bad at all.
• System shuts down in 3 seconds
• How about a reboot of the system:
  • 3 second to the windows lock screen
  • another 2 seconds to login to windows. So in total 5 seconds you can logon to Windows8 from cold start. This a machine I can use to develop, test and write about Windows 8 code. All in all, this machine is clearly a contender.  More to come in a subsequent review once I’ve lived with it for a while.
• Processor i7 at 2.49GHz – It’s a physical Dual Core with Hyper threading so that’s 4 logical processors as shown in Figure 10.

 

Fig 10: Task manager showing 4 logical processor information

Conclusion

I could develop real serious applications on an Ultrabook and i see it as the future of today’s laptops. It pains me to say it as I have been carrying around 10lb laptops in the name of power for over a decade. In the coming days, I will publish more information around how Windows 8 developers can use this type of device to develop Windows 8 Modern UI style apps.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe my readers will enjoy. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Creating Uninstall to MSI installer for publishing apps to the Intel AppUp Center

As part submitting the app to the Intel AppUp Center, we need to create an MSI for the application. A detailed explanation is given out by Intel on how to create an MSI at
http://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/how-to-creating-your-msi-installer-using-visual-studio-2008?page=1

One missing step here is setting up Uninstall options somewhere so that the user can uninstall the app. This is a requirement for the application to get accepted into the AppUp Center. After a couple of trials, i will able to successfully add Uninstall shortcut to my MSI. Here is the process i followed.

Step 1. Make a batch file (Uninstall.bat) with the following call

@echo off
msiexec /x {xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}

Where {xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx} is the product code that is found in your setup project’s product code as shown in Fig 1. Make sure you include the brackets as well.

Figure 1: Product Code in Properties window

Step 2: Add the Uninstall.bat in application folder. Right click on Application Folder > Add > File > Uninstall.bat as shown in Fig 2 and Fig 3

Fig 2: Add File

Fig 3: Select Uninstall.bat file that we previously created

Step 3: Click on "User’s Programs Menu" and select folder and right click and select "Create New Shortcut" as shown below

Step 4: In the popup dialog, Select Uninstall.bat that we previously added to the Application Folder as shown below

Step 5: Click Ok.  Change the icon of Uninstall shortcut to the Uninstall.bat.
Uninstall shortcut > Properties Window –> Icon. Browse and select the application icon.

Build the project and you should now see a shortcut to uninstall in the Program Menu

I am Speaking at Microsoft Technology Center – #novacc

Announcing Nova CodeCamp 2012.1, October 27th. bit.ly/novacc2012

Northern Virginia Code Camp (NoVa CodeCamp) will be held on October 27, 2012 The venue for this event is at the Microsoft Technology Center located at 12012 Sunset Hills Road, Reston, VA.

If you are a developer, interested in the getting into the code in the latest technologies, interested in hearing topics from top regional speakers then come join us for Nova CodeCamp Spring Event on June 9th at the Microsoft Reston MTC.

This upcoming CodeCamp will cover the latest and greatest technologies. CodeCamps are FREE and are a great way to keep up with the pace of technology. Looking to learn a new technology, meet top authors, or just hang out with other software developers, then the Northern Virginia CodeCamp is the place to be.

In addition to the CodeCamp, the guys from .NET Rocks will be holding a Visual Studio 2012 Launch event following the CodeCamp.  More information and registration can be found here.

My session is about getting to know Scrum and why it an important software development process. Then I will share some of my experience with using Scrum development in Visual Studio 2012 and Team Foundation Server 2012.

See you at the code camp.