Microsoft


Blogging Kills FrontPage

I’ve been a Dreamweaver fan since the late ’90’s. Even today, I use it to tweak WordPress themes and plugins. No wonder it holds over 70% of the HTML editor market.

That’s why I do not mourn for Microsoft’s clunker of an HTML editor, FrontPage. This is what happens to a product with the arrogance to lock both client and server into expensive closed standards.

Microsoft FrontPage falls victim to blogging culture

It’s become obvious that FrontPage is going to be quietly dropped from the Beast of Redmond’s regular user orientated offerings – only to be replaced by professional design tools. Blogging sites are replacing personal Web sites for the average PC user.

Originally a classic part of Microsoft’s Office suite, FrontPage’s role will be taken care of by two new products – Expression Web and Sharepoint Designer. Both are blatantly aimed at “the professional Web designer” rather than ordinary PC users.

According to FrontPage’s own home page, “After nine years of being an award-winning (Mike: Yeah, right.) Web authoring tool, FrontPage will be discontinued in late 2006.”

My next bet for the Microsoft deadpool: Content Management Server. You can’t even blog on the damn thing.

(Via Abe Olandres.)

First Vista Ad: Boring

The first Vista ad. I don’t know about you guys, but an ad that vaguely promises to “connect with other partners to offer complete solutions” and “give consumers a spectrum of exciting capabilities” while a bunch of actors prance about with mindless smiles just doesn’t turn me on. It asks me to “see the difference” when all I see is corporatespeak. It certainly doesn’t show me any compelling reason to upgrade to Vista.

Hey, this reminds me of another silly video that shows Microsoft’s confusing marketing style.

What if Microsoft designed the iPod package?

(Via Gizmodo.)