Kev's Development Toolbox

Gates has acknowledged that his company has missed multiple opportunities to become the leader in technology areas such as Search (Google), rich-client applications using AJAX technology, web conferencing and IP-telephony (Skype) and two-way paging (RIM’s Blackberry), amongst others.

Ray Ozzie, who is acknowledged for the original concept and design of Lotus Notes, and now works for Microsoft, has warned Microsoft that they need to be alert and ready for the next technology wave. He believes this to be the development of Services, and Microsoft recent announcements suggest that their major offering in this area is going to be web delivered and enabled Office products, dubbed Windows Live and Office Live.

I am still not completely bought into the idea that consumers actually want to purchase their software products piecemeal over the internet. Pay a one time fee and download, yes, but run the application across the internet eith a web-based browser interface? I don’t think so. Not until the browser goes through a rehaul and comes more of a platform for delivering rich client applications. The browser core technology, HTML and HTTP is largely unchanged for the past 10 years. We need something new in this area to deliver rich applicaitons to users.

The largest potential in this area so far is Java’s Web Start Technology, that delivers client desktop applications across the internet and installs on your machine. The neat part about this technology is that it automatically ‘calls home’ to check for updates and downloads as required, so you can push new versions to your users. This technology I think has been underused so far, and offers the functionality that users are supposedly wanting right now.

Microsoft has already tried to offer us web based services and applications delivered from ‘pick n mix’ services – it was called Hailstorm (about 3 – 4 years ago?) and failed miserably. I wonder why Microsoft think this strategy is going to work now?

Sony CEO Howard Stringer in an interview yesterday hinted at the multimedia capabilities of the upcoming PS3, and also stated that the initial launch would be in the SPring in Japan, followed by ‘before Christmas’ for the US.

We already know that the box will include a Blu-Ray DVD drive, and will be selling at a loss (for possibly 6months) in order to get the bos out there in people’s living rooms. He also restated the fact that the PS3 is Sony’s vehicle to get Blu-Ray out into the market and into homes at a loss. The PS3 is expected to go on sale for $300 – $400, whereas it is possible the first generation dedicated Blu-Ray DVD players will hit the market at close to $1000. This makes the PS3 extremely atractive to not just gamers, but also video-philes who want to get this new technology as soon as they can. This of course is pretty much in line with the launch strategy of the PS2, which included a DVD drive – when it was launched it also was much cheaper than other DVD players on the market at the time.

Other comments which hinted at possible features: “PS3 will be bundled with a selection of preloaded films, TV programs and games…

– preloaded? – so is this saying that the PS3 will ship with a harddrive (which has been stated before would be an optional addon), and not only that but will have media server/Tivo like capabilities? This has been the one area which has been lacking in detauil. A long time ago there was an interview with someone at Sony who hinted that the PS3 would be much more than just a games console – it was pitched as a multimedia entertainment hub for the home. Now it sounds like some of the details are coming out, and its starting to sound very interesting.

So even though the XBox360 is going to hit the shelves possibly a year ahead of the PS3, if the PS3 is a games console plus integrated media server type functionality also, then I still feel Sony are onto a winner with this new box.

Tivo has partnered with Yahoo to give users web integration with Yahoo’s TV listing pages.

Users will be able to browse the listings on Yahoo from any internet connected PC, and by clicking a button remotely instruct their Tivo box to record the selected show. Very cool.