clipboard
In this era of 3ghz processors, 1gb memory, and 500gb hard drives, why is the Windows clipboard only capable of holding a single item? Sure, you have fancy multi-level undo and redo in applications like Microsoft Word and Visual Studio. Did you know that the humble Windows textbox supports a
programming languages
Charles Petzold is widely known as the guy who put the h in hWnd. He’s the author of the seminal 1988 book Programming Windows, now in its fifth edition. And he can prove it, too. He has an honest-to-God Windows tattoo on his arm: This is explained in his
programming languages
In the process of researching a few recent blog entries, I found the amazing Atari Archives. The title is a little misleading; it isn’t completely Atari specific. The archives contain incredible page-by-page high resolution images of many classic computer books, including The Best of Creative Computing, volume 1 (1976)
naming conventions
Jason Kemp notes that Microsoft's choice of product names can have some unintended consequences: I don't know yet how I feel about the name Windows Vista, but it at least has some character to it. But Windows Presentation Foundation? Windows Communication Framework? Who wants to use
user experience
One of the biggest highlights of PDC 2005 was the first day keynote, when the Office 12 UI was unveiled. I don’t know if people realized the significance of what we saw at the time – but we had just witnessed the death of the main menu. There’s no
software development concepts
I noticed something strange in a Windows ME screenshot embedded in a Joel Spolsky article I linked yesterday: Notice the Qantas icons? Those are shortcuts to a now-defunct unix machine at Joel’s company, Fog Creek Software. You can find evidence of it at the bottom of this forum post
programming languages
I’m sure most of you are familiar with this famous Microsoft group photo from December 1978: Groovy. In case you were wondering, the photo is authentic. It’s even featured on the official Microsoft Bill Gates biography page. Of course we recognize Bill Gates in that famous photo, but
programming languages
A colleague recently pointed me to a Steve Ballmer video I hadn’t seen before; the one where he pitches Windows 1.0. All three of the Ballmer videos are essential viewing for any Windows developer: * Windows 1.0 sales pitch * Dance Monkeyboy * Developers, Developers, Developers I love the fact
software development
Wil Shipley, the entity behind Delicious Library, has a hilarious (and informative) talk on why he develops software for the Mac – and also netted $54,000 from Delicious Library on the first day with zero advertising. How to Succeed Writing Mac Software (176kb PDF) One of the funniest and most
programming languages
In “Who needs talent when you have intensity,” I proposed that success has very little to do with talent. This blog entry by Brad Wardell offers even more proof: In 1992, OS/2 came out and I felt I could get a competitive advantage by pre-loading OS/2 onto the
design by committee
In a recent interview, Don Norman warns of the perils of design by committee: You don’t do good software design by committee. You do it best by having a dictator. From the user’s point of view, you must have a coherent design philosophy, and I don’t see
.net
Owen Winkler put together an overview of all self-installable blogging software, circa mid-2004. After surveying his options, he notes one clear trend: Even more disheartening: .Text is the only blogware that anyone suggested for the Windows platform. I asked and asked about it because I wanted to give Windows a