Tales of a Designer » Computers

Internet Explorer 7 is Finally Here

John Phillips — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 15:04:22 +0000

Finally, we see the official release of IE7 hit the internet. Now, my first thoughts are that this is good, but the more I think about it and read other people’s opinions, the more it makes me wonder how good this really is. Now of course we are glad that Microsoft finally gets the idea that they need a more safe, standards driven engine under the hood. But will they keep at it?

It’s good that IE7 has more CSS support, however, I fear that Microsoft will release this version, and then leave it at that, without continuing to update it. CSS is only advancing, and I can only hope that Microsoft wants its browser to keep up with the times and not let it turn into another IE6 fiasco. I just hope that Microsoft isn’t putting on a front, and that they actually care about the advancement of web standards.

Another concern that I have, is what happens with IE6 now? Back in April when I first tried out one of the early beta versions of IE7, I was no longer able to use the previous version. And because of the fact that I have to develop for the new version, how will I be able to make sure my sites work in IE6 and before. I think it’s out of the question to stop developing for them so early because of the heavy usage of them still, but there has to be a solution to this issue. It’s about time to see if my sites all work in IE7, and if not, it might be a long weekend.

Right now this release is just got download, and not yet inside of the XP update, so I am hoping that people begin to latch on and upgrade their browsers. This will be very interesting to observe between now and the end of the year, and see how many people make that change.

This new version of IE7 finally has tabs! Welcome to the party Microsoft, you’re still behind. Aside from that, the browser is supposed to be alot more secure, can read RSS feeds, and the UI has gotten a much needed upgrade.

To say that I’m excited about this release would be an over-statement, because it adds yet another browser to develop for. But it’s good to finally see Microsoft take a step in the right direction. Being a designer/developer, it seems that I have no choice but to download this latest version, but I will still stay loyal to my beloved Firefox. I can’t see IE7 being better than Firefox, but only time will tell.

Leaving Desktop Apps Behind

John Phillips — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 15:03:27 +0000

Right now the web is the best that it’s ever been, both with design and rich applications. ‘Web 2.0′ has forced people to use the web in a way that has been very efficient, and beneficial to its users. What’s even more interesting to me, is that within the past year, the amount of web apps that I use has doubled, leaving behind many desktop apps that no longer see the light of day.

With applications like Google Calendar and Basecamp (just to name a few) it has been very easy to collaborate with others and have the ability to access my information no matter where I am, as long as there is an internet connection. It seems like every day, new web applications are popping up, and though not all of them are great and useful (to me), it is becoming almost second nature to use some of these web apps instead of the desktop apps.

After reading the Top 10 Web 2.0 Winners, I realize that I use 8/10 of those services, and the two that I don’t use (Revver and Skype), I’ve been considering giving them a try. Reading that list made try to compare which web apps I used with desktop apps I use. I don’t exactly need to get into the comparison too much, but the only desktop apps I really use day in and day out are Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and iTunes. Since I can’t see web apps that duplicate the functionality of those, I probably will be using them for some time.

Another thing that made me think of why web apps are so big now is because there seems to be big communities behind them, which makes the experience of using some of these apps so much better, and many of them thrive on these communities to be successful. In my opinion, it seems that ‘Web 2.0′ is alot more focused on communities with these rich applications. It is very interesting to watch.

I can’t say that I’m trying to give up using desktop apps, because they will always have a place, however I also like that this era of the web is bringing forward many great applications. This era of the web has easily changed the way that I get work done and stay organized, which is why it has proved to be pretty beneficial for me. What web apps do you use day in and day out?

Rethinking this MAC thing

John Phillips — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 17:05:41 +0000

So I’ve been thinking alot about what my next computer will be, because quite frankly, it is time for an upgrade. I’ve become very fond of Mac’s, and I absolutely love the design and functionality of them. I’ve never owned a Mac, but have thought very seriously about it, yet I still love my PC’s.

About a year ago, my old roommate bought a Powerbook and just the look alone got me very curious about purchasing one. He had to step out for a few minutes to buy some accessories for it, and I figured that it was my chance to dive into the Powerbook for an express usage session, if you will. I did. And it was addicting. I instantly became intrigued by the sheer smoothness of how clean it operated. Since then, the contemplation of purchasing a Powerbook has been very strong.

And as of recently, this new Bootcamp just got released, which is like icing on the cake. I can use a MAC, and use the ever-so-familiar Windows?! That’s alot to take it at once. But I will wait around a little bit to let all of the kinks get worked out, then make my move……………but MACs are sounding alot better these days!