istartedsomething

Under normal circumstances, it would be silly to give a new product with improved features and a strikingly new design the same product name as the previous version, but we’ve come to learn Microsoft’s marketing department is hardly normal. In short, consider this as the Wireless Laser Desktop 6500 if you may, Microsoft took an already awesome wireless keyboard and wireless laser mouse set and made it even better.

As a side note, it’s somewhat unfortunate that I had go through two sets of the Wireless Laser Desktop 6000 v2 to get to play with this – both of which suffered hardware malfunctions after 12 months of pretty intensive use (FPS gaming) – but I guess this is a good opportunity brag about the three-year warranty and no-questions-asked support reps at Microsoft.

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As reported by Neowin, Windows 7 is set to bedazzle at Microsoft’s PDC 2008 conference in a couple of weeks with news now that attendees will even receive a pre-beta build of Windows 7. With the fast internet access available at the event, I reckon Microsoft might as well just seed a torrent.

The event website has also been updated today with a couple new Windows 7 sessions to the agenda, of which the following caught my privy eyes:

Windows 7: New Shell User Experience APIs
Nicolas Brun
TBD

Windows 7: New APIs to Find, Visualize, and Organize
David Washington
TBD

Windows 7: New Text and Graphics APIs
Leonardo Blanco
TBD

Windows 7: Design Principles for Windows 7
Samuel Moreau
Together, we can increase customer enthusiasm, satisfaction and loyalty by designing user experiences that are both desirable and harmonious. In this session, we will introduce the Windows User Experience Principles approach to shipping software. Along the way we will share stories and lessons learned along the journey of designing the user model and experience for Windows 7, and leave you with a set of principles that you can apply as you build your applications for Windows.

Windows 7: Integrate with the Windows 7 Desktop Taskbar
Rob Jarrett
This session dives into new APIs that enable integration with the latest Windows desktop features. Learn about new extensibility methods to surface your application’s key tasks. Discover how enhancements to the taskbar, Start Menu, thumbnails and their desktop elements provide new ways for you to delight your users. This talk is a must for application developers who wan to provide the best user experience for their applications on Windows 7.

Windows 7: Welcome to the Windows 7 Desktop
Chaitanya Sareen
The Windows desktop is evolving-is your application ready to evolve also? This session sets the stage for exciting enhancements to the taskbar, Start Menu, and other desktop elements.

Windows 7: Deep Dive – What’s New with Win32’s user32 and comctl32
Raymond Chen
This talk focuses on the lowest level user interface components (user32, comctl32) that appear in almost every Windows application. You’ll learn about recent changes and enhancements in these subsystems, and talk extensively about debugging, localization, tools, testing, and shipping. We’ll also talk about how Windows 7 changes (such as High DPI) impact user interface code. Get the best tips and techniques that Microsoft development teams use to build great user experiences with these components.

But hide and seek isn’t over yet. Apparently there’s even some secret Windows 7 sessions only to be revealed after the keynote presentation, which makes scheduling extra fun for attendees I guess). However from at least what’s above, it looks like the user-interface is in for some pretty radical enhancements.

Was looking through the new additions to the “I’M A PC” videos and guess who just showed up, Bill Gates. In case you’re wondering what WHG3 means, his full name is William Henry Gates III. If you’ve submitted a video and is waiting for it to show up, I’ve heard they’re looking into it and user submitted videos should show up more often now.

Oh, and if want to embed a video like I have, head over to my PC video browser.

So you want to see all the “I’M A PC” videos but can’t bear the “video wall” on Microsoft’s website – where you can’t easily browse or link to videos – then you could write your own XML parser and viewer website, or you could use the one I prepared earlier (www.istartedsomething.com/pcview/).

Now you can share your favorite clips, like Tron Guy and weirdo who likes cheese.

Update: Added functionality to comment on each video.

Update 2: Added ability to embed videos.

Speaking of which, if you’re interested in seeing everyone at once, you can browse through the video wall XML file. You can even pick out who is a Microsoft employee by “msemployee”.

On 18th of February 2007, more than two years ago, I made and published this comic.

Today, Microsoft paid Crispin Porter + Bogusky $300 million to make this.

Come on, reckon at least a million right?