Install Not Required

Open a brand new computer, start the browser, access a website, and finally close the browser. No more 5-hour reformat process, only to then have to install ten or more applications which can each take quite a while. Now you just access the application by URL and login. That’s it, nothing to install, no keys to enter – just register, pay if required, and login. Now you are not tied to a single machine, but instead can use any computer device that has a browser. Also, beyond just not needing to install anything, you also always have access to the latest and greatest version of the application, even if this does allow companies like Google to keep their apps in perpetual beta.

View Source FTW

The internet would not be as fast and open if it weren’t for the simple fact that HTML – and its modern partners CSS and Javascript – is delivered to the user in its source format. Most web developers even today get their start by looking at other sites, learning from them and copying their markup and code. I seriously hope that the web continues to stay open with the majority of websites and web applications using plain-text (not binary) markup and code. While I am one who appreciates the capabilities that Flash, Java, and Silverlight give developers, it seems that having a single, open environment that every device implements will be extremely useful. Hopefully a concept of viewing the source is still available amongst the changes and innovations.

Google and their Apps

Google has really redefined how we think about the web, especially for developers as they have pushed HTML 5 forward and Javascript to new levels of performance. While I do think Google will be visited by the Department of Justice in the next year or two, I still can’t help but love every successful solution they have created. Their office suite is decent, but its killer feature, of course, is the ability to collaborate in real-time, and it’s extremely useful. Google Voice has changed how I receive voice mail and text messages, the chat history in Gmail chat has come in handy more than once, and I have been using Google Reader to easily read through hundreds of blogs. It’s undeniable that Google will remain a leader in the browser ecosystem.

Cloud Computing and Synchronization

It’s great to be able to post my photos to Facebook and share them with anyone in the world, or upload a document to Google Docs and edit it with another person. Keeping a local copy of your data is not only smart, but is something I think will be a standard practice even if others say you’ll just store everything in the cloud. I believe that synchronization is key ingredient and differentiates from the cloud computing of the past – namely thin-clients and dumb-terminals – by utilizing computers as smart-clients. Applications have started to utilize these mechanisms to bring offline capabilities. Solutions like DropBox or Microsoft’s Live Mesh are bringing synchronized storage solutions to the world. With these solutions you now have access from any connected computer to applications and data, but also high performance computing from your synchronized machines.

Javascript and its Frameworks

Coming from an academic background, I found Javascript to be a little under-powered when I first started developing websites, but now realize that it’s mostly the DOM that’s the problem. Even five years ago it was still just a scripting language. However, it has matured and grown up into a very powerful language that is breaking out from its dynamic HTML past. Incredible frameworks have been written – jQuery being my go-to tool of choice – that abstract away browser differences and make working with the DOM mostly tolerable. After Google came along with V8 in Chrome, the other browsers followed to make Javascript fast enough to emulate Flash. Even server developers are testing out Javascript end-to-end to allow writing functions that work on both the client and the server. Overall, I’m surprised how much I enjoy the language and it only gets better each day I use it. There is still a long road ahead for HTML, CSS, and Javascript to catch up to the performance that Flash or Silverlight can bring, but it’s catching up quickly with Canvas, <video>, local storage, and even 3D APIs that can be accessed using Javascript. It’s time to embrace the fact that Javascript is here to stay and one must either get on board or watch as the train leaves the station.

#5 Window Dressing

Ironically, one of the features I love about owning a Mac is that you can also run Windows at the same time using virtualization. I wish the opposite were true, but alas Apple holds the keys to Zion close to its chest. Just having the option to run Windows makes the purchase of an Apple machine much easier, as I know that the same machine can be used for anything I would need OSX, Unix, or Windows for.

#4 Quality

Most people regard Apple as the ultimate example of product design and quality. I have to agree – the products feel like quality and look like something you’d want to show others. Apple really is a status symbol amongst the younger generations. They also put User Experience first before anything else, and this is why they have captured the hearts of consumers. The quality that their products have helps to retain value and offers their consumers products that resell at close to the original new price, which actually eliminates the effective “tax” you pay as a premium over other products.

#3 Unix

After OSX came out I began to look seriously at the Mac platform, but didn’t really take it seriously until the Intel transition. After experimenting with many Linux distributions I have decided that while Debian (and the Ubuntu shell) is still my favorite, I really enjoy having a beautiful modern user experience that OSX gives me while having the ability to access a full featured Unix system. I can finally use git natively with ease along with all the powerfully simple Unix commands for editing, searching, and much more. It really is close to an ideal setup with form and function.

#2 GarageBand and iLife

Recording music from a keyboard isn’t too difficult, but GarageBand makes the process simply enjoyable. I am finally able to record and edit without hassle. There’s a lot more that you can do with other instruments, voice, and audio loops, but I just appreciate that it came pre-installed and does what I need. I’m also using iPhoto a little bit (still deciding between Google’s Picasa) and when I take video I use iMovie because it feels almost like the other professional software applications but without the complexity and cost.

#1 iPhone Development

The main reason I took the plunge and purchased an Intel MacMini was for my interest in getting started developing for the iPhone, which I proceeded to immediately take apart and upgrade to 4GB RAM (which I highly recommend). Developing with XCode on the Mac is not my first choice, but it’s the only option. I probably wouldn’t have started using OSX if not for the iPhone, but it’s been mostly a good experience (after modifying many of the keyboard shortcuts). With the new virtualization tools and boot camp, I think my next computer purchase will be a Mac so that I can enjoy all three major systems on one machine without rebooting.

#5 Custom Build

Not long after learning what a computer was I found out how to take them apart, upgrade the memory and processor, and ultimately build an entire PC from scratch. It’s one of the great aspects of the PC market, as opposed to Apple, is being able to choose from a wide range of components and parts, which also means lower prices due to competition. There was fun in figuring out how powerful a computer my money could buy. It seems that this era of hacking together a machine is slowly coming to an end as the computers of today are becoming more specialized and built in smaller form factors.

#4 Inexpensive

Compared to an Apple computer of the same exact hardware usually the PC can be bought for close to half the price. It’s difficult for me to pay the Apple Tax, as many call it, when I’m a power user in the Windows world. This is definitely one of the reasons that I’ve continued to build and own a PC over a Mac. Some argue the quality of the Mac’s parts are better, and in some cases it’s true, however you also can’t get a top of the line component for the Mac since you have to go with the limited options Apple gives you.

#3 Gaming

Most computer games on the market are geared for PC, and more specifically, Windows and DirectX. This is a fact and any self-respected gamer will confirm this. I can still remember fiddling with the autoexec.bat file to get the Sound Blaster audio card working for the X-Wing Star Wars game. I remember getting Doom from Software Etc and being amazed by the graphics, leading me to reading 3D Game Programming books and attempting to make a video game. Thus gaming is a big reason why many including myself own a PC.

#2 Choose Your Own Programs

Once Windows became dominant in the marketplace, the application developers followed closely behind, eventually developing millions of programs – many of which were not very good and similar in function. This gave users a lot of choice, which we now know can lead to a lot of decent, but not great, products. Compared to the Mac where I can hardly find a program

#1 QBasic

In 4th grade I learned how to program a little turtle with a language called Logo, which sparked my interest in what I later learned was called programming. At the time we were just trying to make cool art.  A year later I started learning QBasic, reading the help documents to learn the language which Windows was founded from, and have been a programmer ever since. After QBasic I fell in love with Visual Basic/C++/Interdev and finally, Visual Studio 2005-2010. I’ve always wanted to know how everything works, and this pushed me into learning to love telling a computer exactly what I wanted it to do.

My goals for the upcoming year:

• Write weekly on this blog on code, finance, health, self, tech
• New Design for portfolio and blog
• Establish emergency fund for 3-6 months living expenses
• Reduce weight by 30lbs (Try no-carb 6 days/wk for 30 days)
• Finish work on Condo [completed]
• Finish a Triathlon (any length or type)
• Run in the Boulder-Boulder
  
• Summit two new 14ers
• Register for an LLC
  
• Launch web application or service
• Submit a paid iPhone app to the App Store
  
• Submit a paid iPhone game to the App Store
• Submit an app to the Android Marketplace
• Improve writing of C#, (X)HTML/CSS, and Javascript
• Learn node.js
• Learn and use Ruby on Rails
• Learn and use Asp.Net MVC
• Learn and use a NoSql Database
• Experiment with Haskell, Scala, and Erlang
• Develop a serious Backup Strategy
• Change all passwords to unique using LastPass + KeePass
• Move all accounts to use separate email account

Motto: Just do it!

Happy New Year!