Thanks to a link on Slashdot (yes, I read that too) I came across an article on Arstechnica about the (possible) future of development on the Windows platform in the future.
After the initial announcement that Microsoft is changing the fundamental way Windows 8 and writing custom applications they went into a ‘information freeze’ and are not giving more info on the subject. The reaction of several bloggers and the speculation that follows isn’t making things better. The Html5 and JavaScript message may not be the all and everything.
However, from the leaked (or released) testing versions so far it seems the situation is a bit more complex but perhaps not as bad as some developers are fearing. The author of the article goes on explaining the history around how longhorn was planned but ultimately dropped to support only existing (at that time) technologies. It can only be that the internal politics inside Microsoft causes so much turmoil and the ‘old’ side won. A lot of newly planned technologies got dropped in the process and the result was Windows XP without all those features promised (like WinFX etc). Then that Windows XP and the hackers story started and further derailed any possibility of new technology getting into the core platform. Even now with Windows 7 the .Net framework and related technologies are really only an ‘add-on’ and not used by the core of the OS. This is (according to the article) where Windows 8 is going to change things again – big time!
If the article proof to be accurate then there may be some hope for Microsoft still. The problem is just that old enemy – themselves, as internal fighting against change might make things more difficult. However, because of the changes in the market recently (last few years) Microsoft might not have the luxury anymore to just play around and ignore the internal politics. They have been surpassed by several competitors (yes, not just Apple) and survival is not guaranteed anymore. Any bugger-ups now can actually cause the company to go the way of the dodo. They better get it right. Perhaps with this thread hanging over their heads they are taking things more seriously and that is why they are not talking openly anymore about internal changes. The only next planned release of a build of the new Windows is scheduled around September so we’ll have to wait and see if/how things have changed.
In the mean while it might be a good thing to continue learn how to use XAML and WPF… (even though WPF is giving me headaches 😉 )
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