Random .NET Ramblings

If you are going to the PDC in LA this year or just if you are going to be in town the day before and want to lean Windows 7 Kernel and architectural improvements, new shell integration points and a bunch more (sensors, location, multitouch, graphics libraries ho my) then you should no need to signup for the Windows 7 Developer Boot Camp! Yes a FREE pre-PDC workshop that will start on Nov 16th 10am through 5:45pm with a lunch break. All you need to do is register for PDC and select "pre-conference workshop only" as your registration type and when you get to the workshop selection page of the registration form, you'll be able to pick the Windows 7 bootcamp as a free item. (yes I said free again) w00t!

As is often the case I start to write a bog entry only to find there are many great resource on the web already about what I was going to write about. This time I found the three great resources.

• From MSDN Magazine: Introducing Libraries
• From Code MSDN: Windows 7 Libraries: Developer Resources
• From the Windows Blog:
  • Windows 7 Libraries .NET Sample Library ? an Overview
  • Understanding Windows 7 Libraries

I had the pleasure of once again being a guest on the "Java with John" show on computeroutlook.com. John had several emails from his audience from the last time I was on there talking about Windows 7. While we were doing the show, I got the idea that a lot of what we were talking about would be just a little more than abstract for a radio show... So I offered to make some videos that showed off the features we talked about. I have the videos for Libraries and the Problem Steps Recorder completed today and I will get the videos for Windows Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop Access finished soon.

Windows 7 Libraries

Windows 7 Problem Steps Recorder

For more information about Libraries see the Libraries topic of the Windows 7 Features site and for more information about the Problem Steps Recorder see the ?How do I use Problem Steps Recorder? topic in the Windows 7 site. There is some information that developers will need to know about Libraries but that will have to be a different post.

I was just ordering some new Business Cards so I was checking out the web sites I have listed on the back of my cards and found this little tidbit An Easy Way to Create a Bootable USB Drive for Windows 7 from Channel 10. I can’t wait to get the RTM bits so I can test this utility out. For the RC of Win7 I spend 2 hours making two bootable USB drives (one 64bit the other 32bit) it took so long because the messed up the steps the first time. This will help make the process go faster and I hope get more people to use a bootable USB to install from as it takes sooooo much less time than from a DVD.

The Windows product group has launched a contest to get people  started with coding Windows. There will be several winners from around the world and everyone who submits something by 8/15/2009 will be eligible to win a $1000 gift card.

There are 7 guiding principles that the submitted applications need to address:

• Simplify My Life
• More Media, More Places
• Gaming
• Work from Anywhere
• Safeguard Your Work
• Applications for a Better Tomorrow

• Libraries
• Windows Touch
• Shell Integration
• DirectX 11
• Sensor and Location Platform

Check out the site for all the rules The Code⁷ Contest.

So go! I would suggest you get the Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4 Beta 1 as there are some new Namespaces to help with new Windows 7 features.

I almost forgot you could get a free trip to the PDC

Good luck!