20 Years of PDC Keynotes Online

Robert McLaws — Sat, 21 May 2011 06:17:59 GMT

When I heard earlier today that Microsoft had put all of the Microsoft PDC keynotes online, I was very excited. But I have to admit, it was for selfish reasons. Because I would finally get to tell one of my favorite experiences. Apologies for the self-indulgent post… but then again, aren’t all my posts that way? I figured since the Rapture is coming in a few hours, I could indulge myself in a memory or two.

You see, PDC 2003 was my first Microsoft conference. It was also time when those terrible fires in LA happened, that cancelled many flights out (including mine). It had been a crazy couple days trying to figure out how to get there, but I ended up having to take a bus overnight from Phoenix to LA. It was a long night, and I didn’t get any sleep the entire bus ride.

It turns out, I ended up being an hour late. I was really disappointed at not being able to see Bill Gates speak in person. Corny, I know… he’s something of a hero of mine. Bite me. Anyway, I had WAAAAY overpacked, and ended up rolling into the middle of Allchin’s keynote with my HUGE suitcase. Who happens to be standing there but Robert Scoble. So we grab a seat, I’m excited but exhausted, and not 5 minutes later, this slide comes up. I didn’t have enough time to get my camera out, so I couldn’t catch a picture of the new Longhorn-focused website I had just launched on Jim Allchin’s slide deck.

But now I can.

Had I been any more tired, I probably would have stood up and yelled “That’s my site!” But I kept it together. Later, Scoble told me that Gates, Ballmer, and Allchin were backstage checking out LonghornBlogs.com, and reading what people were saying about the conference (this was WAAAY before Twitter). I wish I could have seen that.

At any rate. If you get a chance, you should take a look at the PDC 2003 and 2005 videos. Pretty interesting contrasts of what was going on at Microsoft before and after MSBlaster. That is, if you’re still here tomorrow.

"WPF/E" Is Now Microsoft Silverlight

Robert McLaws — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 06:11:00 GMT

I thought Microsoft was going to wait until MIX 07 to announce some of this stuff, but chose the National Association of Broadcasters instead to show off Microsoft Silverlight, formerly "WPF/E". DevDiv VP "Soma" Somasegar had this to say:

As I mentioned, this Silverlight announcement at NAB is only part of the story, the rest will be unveiled at MIX including details about how Silverlight is a core component of Microsoft’s broader .NET platform. Keep your eyes on Mix07 as part of Ray Ozzie’s and Scott Guthrie’s keynote – be sure to check it out.

Ray Ozzie and Scott Guthrie on the same stage? You better believe that's going to be a good keynote. Make me wish I was going to MIX this year.

I think the branding is HOT. The logo is sexy, and the site design is very Apple-esque. It should appeal a lot to those types of designer-developers, which is teh audience Microsoft is trying to capture. Too bad they didn't have a Silverlight-enabled home page ready for launch though. I would expect it to have a bit more interactivity.

At any rate, it just goes to show you that the Developer Division is still Microsoft's best at rapidly executing innovative new technologies.

More Info:

Microsoft Silverlight Home Page
High-Def Teaser Video
PressPass Press Release
Tim Sneath Explains
Tina Wood from On10.net Has Video

Robert McLaws: Windows Edition : WPF/E

20 Years of PDC Keynotes Online

"WPF/E" Is Now Microsoft Silverlight