08/13/2012

-------------This day will be remembered in my mind for a very long time.

  Now before you go commenting on how this post is being made on a Monday, which happens to be the 13th; I would like to tell you that blessings, not bad karma, has befallen on me today.

  1.  Today, Microsoft has announced Windows Phone 8 SDK.  WHO THE HECK ISN'T EXCITED ABOUT THIS?  If Windows Phone will make a breakaway on the mobile platform, it will be through Windows Phone 8.

  2.  Microsoft calls.

 I've recently been talking to a lead developer I met at the Windows Phone development camp I had recently attended.  He has set up 4 meetings (one with himself) discussing matters which I have yet to know.  Heck, looking at an agreement sheet that I had to sign I'm not even sure I cane even say what we discussed after it has been done.  Nevertheless, I am great-full that Microsoft is taken a bit of its time to take a look at me.

Anyways, that wraps up today's blog post.  I know I haven't been posting much recently.  I hope I will get back up to speed about things-related-to-Windows-Phone-8 soon.

Why Windows Phone will surpass iPhone

Here's my statement. iPhone is currently the head of the game, no doubt. That is because it's hardware is just a little more advanced than the windows phone (better camera, etc). However in the long run, iPhone will hit technologies limit, while it will take a bit longer for the windows phone to hit that limit. Once both hit the limit, it's pretty much down to the interface. And it is agreed that the Windows Phone interface is slicker, easier to use, and quicker. Just my two cents for the day!

Back button or not?

I would like to answer a quick question about whether it would be a good idea to have a back button on the page screen to navigate back to a previous page in the application.  My personal answer: NO.

1.  Takes up space
2.  The Windows Phone already has one
3.  In addition, the user is used to using the Windows Phone's back button as the back option

Just my two cents for the day!

Programs I use to make my WP applications

This is just a quick list to give an idea to other developers what they should get to develop apps and publish them efficiently.

- Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone 7 (for code)
- Expression Blend (for combining the graphics onto the platform)
- Paint.NET (best tool out there for making images, etc. quickly and easily)
- Paint (to quickly resize, etc)
- Zune (I can't develop my applications without some good old Tiesto!)
- Google Chrome (sorry IE, but Chrome is just faster and way simpler.  Although I have set my search to Bing)
- Notepad (good for making mockups of the app description, etc)

Feel free to make adjustments to this list as you need in order to efficient make and produce applications for the Windows Phone Marketplace.

Windows Phone Camp tips

I've recently had the privilege to attend one of Microsoft's many developer camps.  After coming out of it, I won a few prizes and learned a few new tricks in code.  If you are thinking of attending one of these, here are some things which you should bear in mind.

1.  Get used to the Visual Studio IDE BEFORE the camp.
   I would suggest about a month before the camp to start educating yourself in the environment. Watch some tutorials, read some articles, make your own applications.  You want to have a base level of experience in this environment before you jump into a Microsoft camp.

2.  Instruction, walkthrough, produce
  This is the way Microsoft structures its education process in the camps.  They have 3 'sessions' using this method.  They tell you it, they walk you through, then you try it yourself.  However, they almost always run out of time, so it become an instruction then a quickly produce it.  I guess life never goes to plan.

3.  Do the workshops ONE at a time
  I accidentally did two of them in one time period because I thought we had to finish them all in one session.  I was totally lost after that (however, that was mainly due to the fact that they were talking about database integration.  Do you really expect me to know all of this at my age!?).

4.  These workshops are aimed at people who are not minors who have worked in programming for a bit
  So fair warning to you teenagers (including myself), if you go to one of these, you probably won't understand half of the stuff they talk about.  However, try to pay attention, as making your brain hurt will help you along your development career.

5.  If you are going to enter their app competition, HAVE AN APPLICATION IDEA THAT YOU KNOW YOU CAN MAKE BEFOREHAND!
  I thought I was going to learn how to make all sorts of applications.  However, since most of the stuff went over my head, I spent an hour of my two hours scrambling to get an idea and another hour trying to make it.  I barely made it in time (although I couldn't put all the features I wanted into my app). Ah, good times.

Anyways, these are my 5 big tips for you who are thinking of going to a develop camp from Microsoft.  One thing to note, every camp is different.  So expect everything.  But most of all, HAVE FUN.  Life is there to enjoy, so don't mope about it.

Why Windows Phone 7

This will be a quick post about why I have chosen to develop for Windows Phone 7 instead of the iPhone or the Andriod platforms.

1.  IDE is easier to learn

    The iPhone IDE is pretty much on par with the Windows Phone Visual Studio IDE.  However, the main factor that made me choose Visual Studio instead of xCode was intellisense.  xCode has it's equivalent, however after experimenting with both I found that intellisense outclasses xCode's equivalent by a longshot, mainly because of it's autocomplete capabilities. Andriod's IDE to start off with needed the user to download multiple packages in a certain order listed on certain websites and then add extensions for various platforms that it was already a pain to begin with.  Eclipse itself is very straightforward after coming off of the Visual Studio platform.  It had a much more down to the bones layout.  However, with the lack of any sort of intellisense equivalent in addition to the monstrosity amount of time it took the emulator to load (10 freaking minutes every time!? Are you kidding me!?) Therefore, Visual Studio was the most obvious choice out of the three.

2.  More support

  Microsoft has been more gracious and supportive in my mobile development journey than either Andriod or Apple.  Apple just seemed to have the approach of:  "Oh look, a teenager interested in developing for us. Put him on the list with the other hundreds of teenagers we have developing for us."  Andriod just seemed to make everything as complicated as possible which eventually discouraged me from their platform. Microsoft pretty much pounced on me when I stated that I was interested in developing for them.  They even went so far as to give me a developer phone to continue my development.

3.  Who's heard of a Windows Phone teenage developer?

  I've only heard of two other kids who are developing for the Windows Phone.  Both of them gained a little notoriety on channel 9.  I've seen dozens and dozens of stories on child-genius developers making applications for the iPhone.  There are a few more teenage Andriod developers than Windows Phone developers I have heard of (although they have gained little notoriety despite what I would call mind blowing ingeniousness for understanding the complicate and irritating Eclipse IDE at such a young age).  So I decided, instead of going along with everyone else in the iPhone wave; to be the "rebel" per se and take the unpopular but quickly rising Windows Phone rout.

4.  Windows Phone is the new kid on the block

  This kind of follows the idea that I put forth in point #3, that Windows Phone isn't as popular as other devices.  However, I truly do believe that with the release of Windows 8 that the Windows Phone will experience a huge surge in popularity.  The main reason why people haven't gone to the Windows Phone is because of the lack of applications.  However, with the amount of effort Microsoft has spent to get developers, this won't be a problem in a few years.

5.  I have a PC

  Another big reason.  My family has a Mac that I've downloaded xCode on in the hopes that I could tinker with.  However, because it is the family's in addition to it being an older and slower Mac; also to add that I have my own personal PC computer which I got in 2010; I have to say logistically Visual Studio was the way to go for me.

I hope this gives you aspiring developers and idea of why you are/should be developing for the Windows Phone environment.