Microsoft News Tracker

Or more, precisely Windows Presentation Foundation Everywhere (WPF/E) as Ed Oswald explains:

Like its bigger brother, WPF/E relies on XAML and JavaScript to build pages. Since older versions of Windows, as well as other operating systems such as Mac OS X, support JavaScript, a developer could use WPF/E to save development time by only coding a single application that can be deployed on many systems.

For example, at a PDC keynote this week, a Netflix application built upon XAML was demoed on the full Presentation Foundation in Windows Vista, then through WPF/E on a PDA and smart phone without a significant degradation in usability.

Windows Vista was one of the two big themes of PDC05, but I’m having a hard time pointing out new news. In the words of Paul Thurrott, “There isn’t really anything new to say about Windows Vista. We already knew just about everything there is to know.”

First cut to the screenshots. They’re nice and the sidebar is back, just like in 2003. PCMag has a photo review here.

Then:

- There is going to be extensive beta testing with roughly monthly Community Technical Previews (CTP). But the Community seems to be just MSDN and TechNet subscribers and technical beta program testers.

- Speaking of the sidebar, it isn’t actually in the version 5219 bits handed out to attendees but will be in the October CTP. The mini-apps that can run in the sidebar are now termed “gadgets.” Somewhat confusingly, that’s also the name for the mini-apps that run at start.com and on Windows Sideshow auxiliary displays and they now jointly have a web site to encourage developers to create them.

- Some spiffy games exploiting Avalon and some new Tablet tweaks.

- 30 ISVs announced plans for optimized Vista apps and there will be “a new service within Windows Marketplace called Digital Locker, which will be available in the Windows Vista timeframe” was announced to promote same.

- New Windows Vista home page

- People Near Me and SuperFetch

One of the two big themes at PDC05 was Office 12 which had its debut in the Bill Gates keynote on Tuesday and then cropped up throughout the week. A recap of key points:

- Numero uno was the new user interface planned for Office 12 which was highlighted in the keynote. There are many large screenshots in the Office 12 section of the PDC05 image gallery and a video with the Office UI team at Channel 9. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and the authoring part of Outlook will get the revamp and there will be no “Classic” mode. There’s more at the Office 12 preview site and Jensen Harris busts a few UI myths.

Also important but less likely to get big press:

- Microsoft Office Open XML Formats Overview

- Office 12 Servers: the details were only hinted at, but

Sinofsky told show attendees that, in terms of the company’s Office 12 server investments, “Windows SharePoint Services is the core platform element we build on.”

And Mike Fitzmaurice has a laundry list of features for SharePoint 3.0 (also Windows Sharepoint Services or WSS).