technology trends

The Power of Defaults

user experience

The Power of Defaults

In Typing Trumps Pointing, I extolled the virtues of the full-text search included in Vista’s new Start Menu. As many commenters pointed out, the feature itself is nothing new: I love keyboard searching, but basically you say you are installing Vista, an entire operating system, just so you don’

By Jeff Atwood ·
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The Sugar UI

user experience

The Sugar UI

I’ve largely been ignoring Nicholas Negroponte’s One Laptop Per Child initiative. I appreciate the nobility of the gesture, but how interesting can sub-$100 hardware running Linux really be? Well, that was before I read about the novel user interface they’re building into those small green and

By Jeff Atwood ·
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If Loving Computers is Wrong, I Don’t Want to Be Right

software development concepts

If Loving Computers is Wrong, I Don’t Want to Be Right

I happened upon Russ Walter’s Secret Guide to Computers around 1993. By then it was already up to the 18th edition. The first version of The Secret Guide was published in 1972 as a self-typed 17 page pamphlet. The latest edition is a hulking 607-page monster, a rambling, zine-like

By Jeff Atwood ·
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Is your PC capable of Hi-Def?

software development concepts

Is your PC capable of Hi-Def?

As I recently discovered, playback of high definition video is very demanding. You’ll need a beefy PC to achieve the holy grail of maximum 1080p (1920x1080) resolution playback. Here are the minimum system requirements according to Cyberlink: * Very fast single core CPU (3.2+ GHz Pentium 4, 2.0+

By Jeff Atwood ·
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Eric Lippert’s Purple Crayon

programming languages

Eric Lippert’s Purple Crayon

Eric Lippert is one of my favorite Microsoft bloggers. He’s one of those people who reminds you that Microsoft, despite all its problems, still employs a lot of incredibly thoughtful, near-genius programmers. Take a look at his greatest hits: * How many Microsoft employees does it take to change a

By Jeff Atwood ·
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LCD Progress

lcd

LCD Progress

After revisiting my ongoing three monitor obsession recently, I was compelled to upgrade my current mongrel mix of varying LCD monitor brands and sizes. I settled on three 20" Samsung 204B panels. Standardizing on a single type of monitor in a multiple monitor configuration has obvious advantages in color

By Jeff Atwood ·
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Joining The Prestigious Three Monitor Club

multi-monitor setup

Joining The Prestigious Three Monitor Club

I have something in common with Bill Gates and Larry Page: Larry Page: I have a weird setup in my office. I have one computer with three monitors: one flat-screen monitor and two regular ones. I have my browser on one screen, my schedule on another and my e-mail on

By Jeff Atwood ·
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Are You an Evangelist Too?

software development concepts

Are You an Evangelist Too?

Anil Dash and I have the same job title: evangelist. I share Anil’s reservations about his job title, too: You see, these days my business cards describe me as “Chief Evangelist.” On the plus side, it’s the first time in the history of the company that I’ve

By Jeff Atwood ·
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Cool Gifts for Geeks: 2006 Edition

gifts

Cool Gifts for Geeks: 2006 Edition

As a technology enthusiast with a bad impulse purchase habit, I’m unrepentantly difficult to buy gifts for. The way I figure it, the only reason to grow up is so you can afford to buy yourself all the crap your parents wouldn’t buy you when you were a

By Jeff Atwood ·
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Today is Support Your Favorite Small Software Vendor Day

software development

Today is Support Your Favorite Small Software Vendor Day

I’m a Windows user, and I’m out to prove Wil Shipley wrong: Mac users love their machines; Windows users put up with their machines because they don’t believe there’s anything really better. I love the Mac user base because they tend to be people who are

By Jeff Atwood ·
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iPod Alternatives

technology trends

iPod Alternatives

I have a great deal of respect for Apple’s iPod juggernaut. They’ve almost single-handedly legitimized the market for downloadable music. The kind you pay for. The kind that, at least in theory, supports the artists who produce the music instead of ripping them off. That said, I have

By Jeff Atwood ·
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user experience

Office 2007 – not so WIMPy

In my opinion, the new Office 2007 user interface is one of the most innovative things to come out of Redmond in years. It’s nothing less than the death of the main menu as a keystone GUI metaphor. This is a big deal. Historically, where Office goes, everyone else

By Jeff Atwood ·
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