Good article done as a slide show with screen shots and explanations of features in both. Well done. http://www.pcworld.com/article/170882/snow_leopard_versus_windows_7.html
The July CTP release of Windows Azure came out today. The biggest new feature is the ability to write services that have multiple worker roles and/or Web roles. While it may not seem like much at first, this will allow for more elegant designs that separate concerns and workloads for better manageability and scalability. The new release also supports building Azure services through TFS Build and has the ever-appreciated "Enhanced Robustness and stability." Download it here, and as always, run pre-release software at your own risk
Those of you who enjoyed creating mashups on Microsoft’s PopFly.com will be sad to learn that the service is being discontinued after August 24th. As a registered PopFly user, I got the email this morning from John Montgomery. Not sure what was behind this decision, but I suspect that the mashup maker had run its course. This is by no means a death blow to creating mashups with the Microsoft platform. .NET is still a great platform for consuming services from multiple sources and mashing up the data in whatever way you wish. Not every idea evolves to the next level, I suppose. Rest in peace, PopFly.
LINQ is an excellent technology, but moving from T-SQL syntax to LINQ syntax is not an easy jump when you start getting into complex queries. Enter Linqer, a tool that converts SQL to LINQ. I tried it out recently and it worked like a charm on some pretty hairy SQL. When you put something like this:
SELECT AttributeTypes.TypeName, AttributeValues.AttributeValue
FROM Attributes INNER JOIN
AttributeValues ON Attributes.AttributeValueID = AttributeValues.ID INNER JOIN
AttributeTypes ON Attributes.AttributeTypeID = AttributeTypes.ID AND AttributeValues.AttributeTypeID = AttributeTypes.ID
WHERE (Attributes.SystemID = 1)
Order by AttributeTypes.TypeName
into Linqer, you hit a button and get this:
from t in db.Attributes
join t0 in db.AttributeValues on new { AttributeValueID = t.AttributeValueID } equals new { AttributeValueID = t0.ID }
join t1 in db.AttributeTypes
on new { t.AttributeTypeID, Column1 = t0.AttributeTypeID }
equals new { AttributeTypeID = t1.ID, Column1 = t1.ID }
where
t.SystemID == 1
orderby
t1.TypeName
select new {
t1.TypeName,
t0.AttributeValue1
}
Using the tool actually helps you learn LINQ syntax more quickly as well. Definitely worth the $60.
Check out this great article on Wired about how Facebook is quietly changing the way people seek information on the web. What really amazes me about the story is how quickly entire business strategies must change in the Internet age. The lifetime of “killer apps” is getting shorter every day, and that’s a very good things for consumers of technology. If you have a few quiet moments and want a peek at the future, take a read.
Check out my interview with the godlike Roger Sessions on MSDN Channel 9. For the one or two of you reading this who don’t already know Roger, he is the CTO of Objectwatch. He has authored six books, is on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Software Architects, a Microsoft MVP in Enterprise Architecture and a disturbingly good chess player. In this interview, Roger discusses complexity as a quality attribute of applications. In fact, he claims:
“The failure to manage IT complexity is the single biggest reason that IT systems so often fail. And when complexity is the culprit, the failures are catastrophic, expensive, and usually highly visible.”
Take a look and see why Roger has been a sought after expert for the past 13 years.
ARCast continues producing excellent pieces picking the minds of the best architects out there today. This episode focuses on architecting interfaces for better testability. Here the godlike Dr. “Z” talks with David Makogon of RDA about how decoupling makes your app more testable. A good use of 17 minutes and 25 seconds. 
ARCast.TV – David Makogon on Architecting Interface to Improve Testability | ARCast.TV | Channel 9
I finished installing the RC1 of Windows 7 this morning and all things considered it went pretty well. I have an issue with a USB power pack Network Adapter that I have to work through, but the OS is performing admirably. My home office machine was 
still on 32-bit Vista, so this was the big jump for me. I had Windows 7 beta on my notebook.
First of all, the performance is MUCH better. I run a quad core machine and it seems that W7 makes much better use of that power. The UI just snaps and the usability touches are excellent. The new task bar icons are not as wide as the old ones, so you can fit many more icons on the bar without having to scroll. Also, hovering over the icon brings up thumbnails of all open windows grouped under that icon. For example, if I have 4 IE windows opened, only the one IE icon will appear on the task bar, but when I hover over it all 4 windows appear as selectable thumbnails.
What interests me is the XP compatibility mode that uses Virtual PC technology to run programs that have breaking changes in Windows 7. Perhaps a post on that later.
When I installed the Windows 7 beta on my machine, I was filled with trepidation. This was beta software after all. Was I risking the stability and functionality of my system just to have the latest stuff? And what about my precious data? Sure, I backed it up as recommended, but restoring data is a pain. Well, I took the plunge, and as those of you who also tried the beta already know, I was pleasantly surprised. This was the first Windows operating system upgrade I had ever experienced that improved my system’s performance and stability. It also subtly enhanced the taskbar to provide more efficient access to programs and documents while not changing it so much that it would cause an uproar like the Office Ribbon Rebellion. And it wasn’t even finished baking yet.
Now the Windows 7 RC1 is available for download and the news for PC owners is good. It improves in almost every area. In addition to making the user interface even more efficient and friendly at the same time (quite a feat!), it brings the benefits of virtualization to consumers through XP mode. The first thing installers will notice is an option to check compatibility online. This takes you to a download page for Microsoft’s Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor beta. The Advisor goes through your system and connected devices and warns you about incompatibilities and actions you can take to deal with them.
I am installing the RC today. Look for a post on how it went tomorrow.
Some of you may have been following my blog on the MSDN site. This is the new home of what was formerly known as Beaudreaux’s Bayou.