Google Chromecast

• Setup - At £30 and easily discoverable on Amazon, I can see why people are buying these.  After a small amount of configuration, via an app download, I had the Chromecast connected to my TV awaiting some input.  The device is powered via a USB/plug combination and although I didn't test it out myself,  it felt like a pretty standard USB connector,  so  potentially it could be good for taking on the road as you can use existing plugs/cables. 
• Connections – Google have included a HDMI connector as part of the unit which is a stroke of genius.  The other units I tested all require a HDMI cable (sometimes included, sometimes not) which means you have another cable to worry about.  I hate having to search around for cables so well done to Google for including the HDMI connector in the unit.
• What can I show? - You are officially limited to a device with a Chrome browser or any supporting application.  The application list is expanding all of the time and with the sheer number of Android devices out there, it’s not as bad as it sounds.  You can project your whole screen,  via beta functionality,  but this is tougher than it should be to get up and running (you have to open up the Chrome browser to access the setting for a start)

In summary, it’s a cheap device and I really liked the fact it's got a built in HDMI connector rather than needing to use a separate cable.  Biggest problem really is that it’s all centred round the Chrome browser which meant I only tended to use it when surfing and wanting to show a webpage on the screen.

Netgear PTV3000

• Setup - These currently sell for around £40 on Amazon (currently on offer).  The box comes with the unit, a plug (with USB connector) and a USB cable for powering the unit.  I like this because in theory it means I don't need to carry around as many plugs in order to charge my devices,  very similar to the Chromecast in this respect.  The only let down here is that it didn't come with a HDMI cable in the box which meant it took a few days for me to connect it up.  Given how cheap HDMI cables are, Netgear should include this in the box so you can get up and running immediately.
• Connections - On the back there is a USB socket for power and a HDMI socket.  All in all not really much to go wrong, as long as you have a spare HDMI cable already!
• What can I show?  - This device supports both Miracast and WiDi (more on those later) so you can display from most modern devices.  For Intel WiDi you use a specific application to share the desktop (a slightly clunky experience - that's Intel's fault) but with Miracast you simply open the charm bar, select project and then add a wireless display.  A few moments later you have your screen on the TV, including sound.

In summary, it’s a nice compact device and the USB power socket means you have the potential to save space in your bag with one less plug.  Where it lets itself down is that in order to update the device I needed to download the firmware to your PC, put the device into a maintenance mode and then connect to it over its own wireless network.  This seems really clunky given the Actiontec can do it over the web.  Fix this 'issue' as you have a sleek little device that's easy to pop in your bag and take with you on the road.

Actiontec Screenbeam Pro

• Setup - At approx. £67 it's a little more than the Netgear PTV3000 but I can tell what I am paying for.  The box comes with the unit, a power cable (not USB) and a HDMI cable included (nice touch).  Including the cable meant I could connect it up to my TV immediately which I think it a great advantage over the Netgear.
• Connections - On the back there is a power socket,  a HDMI socket and a full size USB.  After reading the manual, it turns out that you can use the USB socket for 'wireless USB'.  I tested this with a mouse, which had a little latency, but was impressed with this little addition.  I need to do some more testing to see what works over wireless USB but I am thinking it would be nice to plug in a keyboard or hard drive if speed allows.
• What can I show - This device also support WiDi and Miracast, it also says it supports AllCast on their webpage.  It's a similar experience to the Netgear in that you can either use the Intel WiDi app or standard 'charm' option if you have a Miracast enabled device.

It might cost a little more and come with a separate power cable/socket (not USB) but that can be forgiven as everything else is a pleasure to use.  Updating the units firmware can be done over the internet straight from the device without having to download first or connect to a separate wifi network.  The addition of wireless USB is a great touch although more testing required to find out exactly the limits of the technology.

Intel WiDi vs Miracast

During my testing, I also discovered that Miracast and Intel WiDi are two separate protocols,  or at least they seem to be.  Intel WiDi was a clunky experience as I first needed to download the app before I could send my small screen to the big screen.  Compare this to Miracast, which was a simple swipe and press on Windows 8, I can see Miracast competing much better with Apple TV than Intel WiDi.

What about VGA?

Both of these units have HDMI only which means I might not be able to use them for presenting as many projectors I bump into on my travels tend to have VGA, especially if they are built in projectors attached to the ceiling.  I could get round this with a HDMI to VGA adapter but that's just another cable for me to lose :)....

Perhaps the world just needs to move on from VGA?

Today I bumped into someone in the Windows Embedded team and one of the things I said to them is that it's a real shame we don't have a video that shows people their daily interactions with Windows Embedded,  turns out we do. Although this video is set in USA,  a number of the systems are also available in the UK and they shared some very local examples of where Windows Embedded is being used in Reading that I didn't realise before.

Spend a few minute taking a look at the video on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMswVUhUmCQ and see if you can spot something you may have used in the past or even today! 

MSN @ Online Communities (2000) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSN_Communities

Although not strictly part of my service,  my first role with Microsoft was at MSN in London.  My memories of this time include working with some great people,  helping co-ordinate the MSN webpages for the Year 2000 Olympics and organising a competition to give away a Porsche to coincide with the release of Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Need_for_Speed:_Porsche_Unleashed).  At the time,  chat rooms and communities were very popular but like many technologies,  it was used for both good and bad and in the end they were shut down.  Three years later,  the concept of a community or network of people was brought to life in a different way by a Mark Zuckerburg. 

Windows Media Center (2001)  -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Media_Center

The early part of my time at Microsoft,  saw the launch of an operating system that also included a specific TV/entertainment interface.  Windows Media Center was launched and a number of the OEMs came out with hardware of varying sizes,  shapes and noise levels.  For a few years,  one of these boxes sat underneath my TV at home and recorded my TV so that I didn't need to watch anything live.  Keyword search was one of the great features of this product,   allowing me to record any programmes with the word 'home automation' in the title or description.   It also worked with my videos and pictures and integrated into the home automation system I had at the time,  effectively turning my dumb TV into a smart TV.  Years later Apple brought the Apple TV in 2007,  SmartTVs came out with Netflix and 5 On Demand installed and I purchased a Humax DVR to record TV .... and it still doesn't search the tv listings as well as my media center did.

Xbox (2001,  2005, 2013) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox#Xbox

During my time at MSN,  I remember seeing a 'computer' in the office that was shaped like an X,  not too dissimilar to this mockup here http://danielprimed.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/xbox-silver1.jpg.  If I remember correctly, that turned to be an initial concept for the Xbox that released the following year in 2001.  Microsoft entered the console market at the end of 2001 to replace Sega who had left at the beginning of the year.   Over the years, the Xbox has got quieter and it's interesting to look over the years at the interface to see how it has changed over time from something very Xbox Branded and simple (http://www.gamedynamo.com/images/galleries/photo/1768/xbox-10-year-anniversary-original-dashboard.jpg) to the 'blades',   then to the 'cards' and most recently the 'tiles'.  Xbox started out its life as brand sepereated from Microsoft,  for good reason,  but over the years it has slowly been integrated into the other platforms,  presumable as users want a more joined up experience.

Smartphones (2002) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Smartphone#Windows_Mobile_2003

In 2002,  working on the move involved either a Blackberry for email or something like an IPAQ (http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=ipaq&qs=n&form=QBIR&pq=ipaq&sc=8-4&sp=-1&sk=).  In 2002,  my manager at the time came to me and mentioned that we were working on a phone operating system.   He handed me a device and said I could play with it over the weekend but not to show anyone or lose it as it was one of only a few in existence.  Later on that year,  we launch the Microsoft Smartphone into the market with the 'Canary' device through Orange,  shortly followed by a number of other devices from different vendors and operators of different shapes and sizes.   I found myself talking to people at work about 'candy bars' and 'clam shells' which it turns out were different form factors.  The interface even at that point had a start button and developed overtime into the Windows Phone operating system that we know now.  Five years on from Microsoft Smartphone 2002 launching,  the iPhone was invented and smartphones started to become mainstream (although some might say feature phones are still very popular). 

Tablets (2002) -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Tablet_PC 

I joined Microsoft one month before the launch of Windows XP,  a system that will go end-of-life in April 2014.    In the end there were many editions of Windows XP including one of them that was specifically designed for a new type of form factor/device that had a screen you could touch (with a special pen at the time) and that you could essentially write on.  The Tablet (PC) was born,  although Microsoft had tried this before,  and suddenly I started to see people in meeting tapping at their screens rather than their keyboards.    8 years later in 2010 the Apple iPad starts off a new era of computing on tablets.

Exchange 2000 IM and Live Communications Server 2003  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Lync_Server

One of my first roles at Microsoft was working in the Outlook support team (and at some point with the Exchange team) and as part of that I got to know the different elements of Exchange.  One of the bits that intrigued me the most was Exchange IM (the instant messaging client that came with Exchange) that three years later become Live Communications Server 2003.  My relationship with the product.  that would eventually become Lync,  started in 2003 when I was caught by a collegue installing LCS 2003 which immediately meant I became the 'expert'.  For almost 6 years I followed LCS/OCS through my career,  at one point fulfilling my dream of becoming the product manager for the product that I had just 'installed to see what it was' back in 2003.  During that time we acquired Placeware (LiveMeeting) and developed the Microsoft Roundtable.  It's great to see this product go from an install option in Exchange 2000 to a $1billion+ business with Lync 2013. 

Small Business Server (1997) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Small_Business_Server

I didn't join at the very start of this products life,  I think I got introduced to the product in 2003 with 'Bobcat'.   For quite some time it had been obvious that selling Exchange to small business wasn't going to work because of the price and therefore Small Business Server was around to suit.  This enabled small business for a relatively small price to access pretty much the same technology as a large organisation.   I even managed to run Small Business Server 2003 at home for my family email until I finally moved it onto Hosted Exchange.  Years later,  in 2009,  Microsoft launched BPOS (hosted Exchange etc) into the UK,  just as I was leaving Microsoft.  I returned four years later in 2013 to see Microsoft transformed into a cloud company with Office365,  with yet another $1 billion business that previously had not existed.

Spot watch (2004) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_Personal_Objects_Technology

The smartwatch isn't new,  it's been done before.  Technology was different at the time and perhaps the product was a little before its time but I remember watching a video about the Spot Watch at a Microsoft internal event and thinking to myself 'I want one of those'.  The SPOT watch never made it to the UK,  although I constantly badgered the product manager in Redmond,  but it looks like the SmartWatch might finally be ready for primetime now with products like Pebble and Samsung Gear Watch.   Take a look at the video at https://vimeo.com/34686820 which is similar to the video I saw at the Microsoft event.  Although the delivery method has changed,  there is enough in common between the scenarios in this video and what some of the watches are trying to do now.... in fact its very similar to what people use their phones for today.

MapPoint Location Services (approx. 2004) -http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb676098.aspx

At the time,  GPS chips were not yet in phones and therefore you needed to GPS enable a device with a specific card,  in my case a compact flash device/sleeve for my iPAQ.  However,  in a 'dark corner' of Microsoft I met someone in the MapPoint team who said there was another way and that location services should be available to everyone without the need for specific cards.  The product that was launched was MapPoint location Services and it could be used to track peoples location using just their SIM card (it worked in conjunction with the operators hardware at the time).   Even then,  the desire to track peoples location for safety reasons was a requirement and its took until 2009 for Google to bring out Latitude (they had something called Dodgeball).   By this time,  GPS in phones was far more common, and along with Find My Friends of iPhone,  people are now able to keep an eye on loved ones.   MapPoint Location Services is long gone (I believe) but why has no-one else come up with a similar service that doesn't require people to have a smartphone.

What next?

Well that's the ultimate question really.  To try and predict the next 100 months of Microsoft for me is a near impossible tasks as one simply cant know what is going to be important to people in the future.  If I was to make a guess and/or a few wishes then I would expect us to see the mobile,  tablet,  console,  computer and maybe even the TV all show our 'experience' in the same way,  tailored to the shape of the device.   Secondly,  combing the Windows stores for apps and games across all these platforms is an obvious next step as well as making the interfaces look the same (which is already happening).  The next area I see developing would be the cloud,  as we see more and more traditional applications become 'cloud' from Exchange Online to SQL Online. Windows Azure,  already a billion dollar business,  will become more a part of our 'partners' toolbox and I can see the information gathered through services like Bing,  Xbox,  Office365 and Outlook.com combined with the computing power of Azure and machine learning will be put to 'good use' to improve our interaction with technology.

One thing I think is sure.  Reflecting on a lot of the software that has come out of Microsoft in the last 100 months I have worked here,  it looks like the next 100 will be exciting. 

With Satya as CEO and Bill Gates returning to focus on technology,  I couldn't think of a better place to be as it all unfolds!

There was a time when a Windows Personal Computer was exactly that,  a box sitting under your desk and if you wanted something to use when out and about then you purchased a mobile.   Later on came the laptop, which meant you could take your computing with you as long as you had a lap or a desk to put it on.   Batteries meant you didn't need to have it plugged in all the time,  allowing you to use it on a train.  Ultimately,  things were relatively simple when you looked to buy a new computer.  You opted for a desktop PC if you wanted power and/or a big screen or opted for a laptop if you needed to work on the move.

Fast forward a few years and things got more confusing.  Tablets came out,  namely the iPad,  and life would never be the same as the line between content consumption devices and content creation devices become blurred.  Introduction of the Windows ARM tablets,  the Surface Pro and Surface RT for example,  confused things more as they were the size of a tablet but came with a keyboard and Office which meant you could create content also.  As it stands,  my 'work kit' therefore consist of

- Laptop that sits on the desk at work or in the home office,  large hard disk, good size screen

- Tablet to take notes in meetings at work and some content creation for those times when you don't want to lug a laptop about i.e. sitting on the train or popping into London for the day

The release of 8 inch tablets however has made me rethink how and when I would use different devices.  I purchased through work, a Dell Venue Pro 8 tablet running full Windows 8.1 (not RT).  I actually have grand plans for this device as it might be a replacement for our aging home laptop but I wont review the device itself quite yet for that purpose,   this blog post is instead to investigate the need for an 8 inch tablet at all.

So where and when do I use it?

The 8 inch tablet currently appears to be for almost entirely a 'consuming device' although once I get a dock for it I am sure this will change.  Although it has Windows 8.1 full and the legacy desktop,  I find I spend more of my time either using it as a SmartGlass for my Xbox One or using it to read articles/news.  It's a great size to be able to pop in a big jacket pocket and I am already taking it to place I wouldn't consider taking my laptop and have hesitated sometimes on taking the Surface RT,  to the pub for example.  Further proof of its 'reading and consuming' strength is that I tend to hold the device most of the time in portrait format, whereas my Surface tends to be used in landscape.  I am yet to watch movies on the Dell Venue Pro 8 so perhaps this will change things slightly.

I have grander plans for the Dell Venue Pro as mentioned before,  but for now I am really happy with it as a companion device to the personal laptop at home.  Once I get a cover for it, I can see myself talking it with me when I visit 'friends and family' or down the pub to read.  This I imagine is what people tend to do with their iPad Mini's,  leaving the laptops and full size iPads at home in the living room.  For work I think the 8 inch tablet has limited use unless you have a docking station,  I imagine people also find the iPad Mini not quite right for the work either.

The interesting thing is that iPad Mini starting at £249 for 32GB is almost entirely for consuming information.  The Dell Venue Pro 8 starts at £249 for 32GB has the portability of the iPad Mini but is essentially a fully fledged Windows 8 computer..... with a dock for mouse/keyboard/screen etc .... I imagine the DVP8 will transform and eclipse the iPad Mini.

More than just a console

One of the keys things about the Xbox One is that its not just a console,  it's an entertainment device,  in fact if I remember correctly it's called Xbox One because of 'Input 1',  the sacred slot in your TV where you put your TV signal,  and now hopefully your Xbox One.  With this in mind,  I connected the Xbox One to my TV my Humax FreeSat box and started it up.  After a small update and few settings screens,  I was up and running.  That evening I downloaded Skype,  Xbox Video and Xbox Music and a whole host of other applications.  I managed to have a Skype call with a friend of mine and then when my wife came home we watched a little TV before popping out for the evening.  The next morning,  my friend and I watched a few new episodes of 'Fresh Meat' from 4OD and I then took him through our photos from Vegas.   On Sunday,  after a jam packed weekend I finally sat in front of the Xbox One and realised I had not yet played a game.  Some might say this is a bad thing as it obviously wasn't enticing enough for me to jump on a game straight away,   I don't think that's the case for me (certainly made up for it since).  Instead I see this as proof that Xbox One is more than just a console,  it's a device for the center of your home where you can share, watch and sometimes play games if you want.   It's therefore a device for all the family,  not just for the gamer!

Casual gaming meets hardcore gaming

Anyone who loves to play console games will have heard the phrase "How on earth do you have time to waste playing games?" a thousand times.  As people lives get busier,  with tweets,  emails and Facebook notifications,  it's a wonder how most people have any time for gaming.   Because of this,  we have seen a rise in 'casual' gaming on smartphones where you can play a game for a few minutes and then put it down when you get to the front of the queue in Starbucks or finish your 'morning routine'.   With all these interruptions,  how does anyone find the time to start up the console,  insert the game,  wait for it to load and then play the level/track to at least the next time you can 'save'.  I myself fell foul of running out of time and my Xbox 360 was rarely switched on in the end.  Things have changed.

As you may know,  the Xbox One is always 'on' which for me means I can very quickly get into a game.   Currently my game of choice is Forza 5 and I like to make my way round a few tracks when I have a space moment.  The difference now though is that when we sit down for dinner,  watch TV with the wife or do something else I can simply press the XBOX button on the controller or say 'Xbox watch TV' and straight away it pauses the game.   In fact,  as I type this blog we have the TV on and 'Forza 5' is sitting in the background waiting for me to take a Focus ST for a spin round Silverstone.  Once the programme is over we will jump back into Forza and continue through the game ..... casual gaming is back and it's via a console in the home !

But it's still just for gamers though right?

The Xbox One hasn't been out long enough for me to find anyone except gamers that have purchased one.  I am however intrigued to see how many casual gamers buy an Xbox One primarily as entertainment devices and secondly as a games console.  This got me thinking,  if I wanted to buy the features in an Xbox One without buying a console,  how much would it cost me? P.s. I realise a PS4 can do some of this too,  this is comparing console vs separates.

• Blu-ray player (doesn't support Skype though) - £50 - http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/1279737.htm
• Apple TV (movies, pictures) - £99 - http://store.apple.com/uk/ipod/ipod-accessories/apple-tv
• Web browser,  DLNA and Catch up TV apps - £75 - http://www.amazon.co.uk/LG-ST600-Smart-Upgrader-Browsing/dp/B0054U4KGQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385504297&sr=8-1&keywords=lg+st600
• Skype camera for the TV - £170 - http://shop.skype.com/intl/en-gb/skype-for-tv/#/categoryid=3&sortby=3&subcategoryid=3&filter=&manufacture=&price_range=&page=1&mac=0  

The total comes to £394, so for an extra £40 you get a console thrown in!

It's worth noting I haven't taking into account the extra Skype minutes you get,  but as a rough calculation its not actually a bad deal.  If you don't need any of the above then I can see that Xbox One is just a games console to you,  but if you use Skype,  want a 'smart TV' and a Blu-ray player then the Xbox One is a quite a good deal.

Time will tell

I realise that as time goes by my gaming habits might change and a certain amount of the novelty of the Xbox One might fade.  I also realise that over time the Xbox One will be updated,  with new apps coming to the store which may build on its entertainment qualities.

Hopefully it's clear that the Xbox One isn't just a console,  it's an Apple TV,  a smart TV adapter,  a blu-ray player and Skype system all in ond.  It's for hardcore gamer and the casual gamer who only has a spare five minutes here and there.

For this reason it's certainly promoted to 'input 1' on my TV and I can't see it getting demoted anytime soon.

PowerQuery is actually set of tools but its primary purpose is to give you access to data sources including the usual suspects like SQL and Access.  Perhaps more importantly,  rather than downloading the information into Excel straight away,  you can filter, remove and merge data before you download it because the dataset you are looking at could be considerable in size.  There are a number of data sources available but two stood out for me in particular.

One is the ability to pull data from an 'Online Search' which queries a number of online tables and databases, including 1.5 million tables on Wikipedia.  This in itself is very powerful as the average user can now pull data freely available on the internet into Excel to manipulate.  Merge that with your own database of information and you have can start to combine your store sales information with publically available population information for counties or towns,  making decisions based up real data not guess work.  

The other dataset that caught my eye was perhaps a more considerable dataset with thousands if not millions of data points,  Facebook.  I connected to my Facebook data via the Facebook Graph API and started to sift through the data structure.  In the end I decided I was going to filter on 'check-ins' and pull the time,  latitude and longitude data.  At the time of writing this blog it was 730 records but you can imagine how much time and bandwidth was saved by using PowerQuery to download only the data I need from my 'Big Data' store that is my Facebook account.  I now have my data locally in Excel to play with.

PowerMap was the next tool I wanted to use to visualise the data.  It's one thing to see a list of long/lat combinations but it doesn't really mean much to the average person.  After splitting the timestamp field into date and time columns (using PowerQuery again) I selected all of the data and loaded it into PowerMap.  A few dropdown boxes later and I have a heat map of my check-ins in Reading, Berkshire over the space of approximately three years. 

PowerQuery and PowerMap really do bring self service business intelligence to the masses.  I have spent as long learning about these tools as you have reading this blog so get stuck in and have a try yourself!

Check out the video of my check-in heat map for Reading.  For those of you that know Reading well .... don't judge me on the location of most of my posts !

Office 365 isn't selling that well is it? People want to own the software and service?

Office 365 has now reached a yearly run rate of over $1b so its safe to say it's being used.  Subscription services can seem a little strange to us in software and IT as its not the normal way we would buy.  That said,  over time we as consumers have become used to subscription model for a number of things from Netflix to Spotify.  Almost everyone I talked to was a Spotify user and agreed that actually subscription is a part of their life so they could see how it could become part of their IT payment structure for themselves or their customers

I don't need Office 365 as i have just rolled out Office 2013 AKA 'Office 365 is a new version of Office apps'

Not surprising given the name but a lot of people I spoke to believed that Office 365 was a new version of Word, Excel, Outlook etc.  There is still much work then to be done to explain that Office is a 'system' (i.e. clients and servers) and not a collection of desktop applications.

I don't want Office365 because I still need Word when my internet  is down

Almost on the other end of the scale was the belief that Office 365 is browser based,  perhaps based on peoples experience of Google.  Many people I spoke to believe that Office 365 is a browser based version of Office, only available when you have an internet connection.  They are right in thinking there *is* a browser version of Word etc but Office 365 in some instances also includes the 'local install' Office applications on 5 pc/macs per person.  It's the best  of both worlds in that sense.

Why as a partner would i sell it?

I spoke to a number of Small Business Server partners all of which wanted to know why they should switch to selling Office 365.  I remember talking to partners about SBS years ago and although it's still a great little server,  things have progressed and now partners  need to differentiate on a different level.  Every  partner I spoke to agreed that a server running Exchange that I built would be the same end user experience as an Exchange server they would build.  We all agreed, therefore that the thing to differentiate on is the service you offer over and above the technology and not the technology itself.  Office 365 runs the server for you,  leaving you as a partner to concentrate on the more margin rich services rather than low margin IT maintenance tasks.

So what is Office 365?

To summarise I would say it is a

• Subscription service for Office applications and servers just like Spotify
• Includes web versions of Office applications that work in a browser
• Includes installable versions of Office applications you can install on a pc or mac
• Includes server infrastructure stored in the cloud including exchange, SharePoint and Lync

I hope this proves useful as clarification of what Office 365 is and what Office 365 isn't.  If you are a partner,  hopefully you can see why you should get involved.  If you are a business you can hopefully see how Office 365 might work for you.  If you are a home user,  hopefully you can see that even thought you might not need Lync,  SharePoint or Exchange,  you can get Office on subscription just like you do your music through Spotify.

1.  True friends and your family are worth their weight in gold,  never take them for granted

2.  Enjoy life as you never know what's going to happen.  Don't worry about what could happen,  live about what IS happening!

3.  At work,  do what you love and that well being will flow into the rest of your life

When I think back on my career over the years,  my best times have been those where I am doing a job I enjoy with friends I have the fortune to also work with.  In all of my jobs this has been the case at some point,  but the place I felt this the most was my time at Microsoft.  Even when I have visited Microsoft campus since leaving in 2009,  the place always seemed alive and changing all the time,  and over the past four years the company itself has started on a transition to devices and services from its traditional business of software.  It's a change long over due but this itself got me thinking.

Anyone who has had a quick read of my blog will know that after being a Microsoftie for a number of years,  I embraced the  world outside of Microsoft and dived right into the Apple ecosystem,   a refreshing change from a world of Microsoft and enjoyed it for many years.   A year or so ago however came Windows 8,  an opportunity to play with a Windows 8 phone,  the iPhone 5 and an impulse buy of a Microsoft Surface.  It all changed from there.  Around the same time, the XBOX One was announced and some elements were so radical that it was too much for some gamers to accept,  Windows Phone is gaining market share and although its not anywhere near Android,  its gained 3rd place.  Office 365 and other cloud apps are selling really well and changing the way Microsoft and its partners work. Finally there is Surface,  a device that might not fly off the shelves but shows me one thing,  Microsoft is once again taking risks and challenge the norm or 'die trying'.  That's the Microsoft I loved working for!

Today I start my first day back at Microsoft,  working for the company I respect,  working with people I can relate to, doing a job that from what I know so far I will love.   As I write this,  I feel the same excitement as I did when I started Microsoft in 2001.

'Change the world or go home' Hugh MacLeod once wrote.  Microsoft is one of the places I think I have the best chance of doing just that!

Split screen - This really is more noticeable and important than you would think.  Previously,   using Windows 8 with multiple applications on the screen has meant deciding on which application you wanted to work within and the other was displayed limited information (like the sidebar from Windows Vista).  In Windows 8.1,  this is no longer the case as I have found myself using two applications running 50/50 quite a lot of the time,  most of it as Internet Explorer in one half researching and something like Word or OneNote taking notes.#

New Windows Store - The new Windows Store is massively improved and much easier to read.  It's a 'joy' to scroll through and browse which is simply something you wouldn't have done with the previous one,

Different sized tiles - Interestingly enough this is one of the things that I have not taken to as much.  It's the same situation on my Windows Phone 8 mobile where I also have pretty much stuck to the standard size of tiles.  I think this might be partially due to some slight OCD I might have about neatly arranged tiles but another element could be that not a lot of applications currently make the most of the 'large' option.  Perhaps over time as more applications become 'large tile ready',  I will start to use this more,  perhaps I wont because I find it hard to arrange them all in a line ;)

Will I upgrade when the final release comes out?  Yeah!.  As a rule,  I tend to embrace updates rather than fear them but the thing I am looking forward to the most is having data, settings and the tiles sync across my Surface and desktop.   When this happens,  I think the line in my head between laptop and tablet will blur even more,  creating a single interface accessible whether I am at home (on the laptop perhaps) or on the move (via the Surface).

Bring it on!

I have retweeted a number of articles but thought I would add a few words on my own first impressions.

Set the background picture for the metro interface – I have not playe with this much yet but it is one of the things that I noticed first.  By default,  mine uses the ‘fish’ background which is animated.  It took me a couple attempts to catch it but the bubbles actually come out of the fishes mouth every so often.  Will be interesting to see if the community comes up with some downloadable animated ones.

Redirecting ‘libraries’ to SD card – Although I used a workaround for this before,  it's great to see I can now point Pictures,  Music,  Documents,  Video etc to the SD card rather than somewhere on the local disk.  With my 32GB Surface,  I started to quickly run out of room if I start to kept media content locally on the Surface so this solves the problem by using the cheap 32gb SD card into the back.

Outlook RT -  Much better experience than the default mail client,  'horse for courses' I suppose on this one.  It's a nice touch interface for proper Outlook and if it opened in the metro area rather than in the desktop then it would probably become my only mail client on the Surface.  I want it to be like 'Lync MX' rather than how Word loads.

Swipe up to all apps – If you want to access the full list of apps,  you can now drag the screen up.  This feels similar,  although not exactly the same,  as how I would do this on my Windows Phone.   A great idea and may even mean I find myself looking at ‘All Apps’ far more than I used to before. It takes a while to understand the difference between loading 'right click options' and 'All Apps',  nothing most users wont be able to figure out.

The Windows Store – The interface for the store is massively improved and is much nicer to browse through.  It's very 'visual' with screenshots,  app icons,  small descriptions, ratings and the cost all in one view.  It feels much nicer on the eye and I could easily see myself browsing through the store when I have some spare time now rather than looking for specific applications by name

Multiple apps on the screen – This always used to be a bit hit and miss with which screen it would end up on.  It’s a much better now as it floats the app in the middle and you decide where it goes.  Much better!

Search – OH my word!  What a drastically improved experience this is.  By typing in my search criteria e.g. ‘store’ I can see the list of local applications etc.  However,  if I then click on the search icon it then shows results across 'This PC' and Bing.  Another pleasurable experience.  I highly recommend scrolling along to ‘web images’ where it brings up other screen where you can then filter images on size, colour, type and layout.  You can even filter by ‘people’ which not only know which pictures are of 'people' but also can tell if they are a faces or 'head and shoulders'.  Really cool!

More apps - There are a number of other new apps but the one that I have played with the most is 'Food & Drink'.  In particular,  you can enable 'hands free mode' which does a pretty good (but not perfect) job of enabling you to turn the page of a recipe without having to touch the tablet,  you just swipe your hand in front of the camera.  I look forward to seeing other applications use the camera in a similar fashion (perhaps Lync could check to see if you are looking at the screen and set you to 'idle' or 'away' if you are not there? 

Skydrive offline - Oh how happy I am to see this.  Doesn't look like you can set where Skydrive stores its files locally (shame - I wanted to pick the SD card again) but its great all the same that you can store it offline now.

That's about all I have bumped into for now.  I am sure if I installed Windows 8.1 on my home PC I would experience a lot more 'syncing' experience.  What have you found?