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Ever wonder how we came up with the visual design for Windows 7 login and default background screens? My first impressions of seeing the visuals are energetic, fun, and different from previous Windows. Since then, I’ve been wanting to hear the design story behind the creation. Luckily, on the latest...

What a great way to come back from my vacation other than celebrating Windows 7 releasing tomorrow! Our company CEO Steve Ballmer is in town and on tonight’s episode of CBC’s news show The Hour , Steve will have an one-on-one conversation with George. Should be a great interview and a chance to get to...

Windows 7 has been getting very positive feedback for its improved user experience. Many of our partners are eager to build applications on this new windows platform. In order to establish a high quality and consistency basedline for Windows-based applications, answer your UX design questions, and make...

As the new school year is starting, I’ve received questions from several faculties and students about upgrading their PC to Windows 7. For example, ‘Shall I do a upgrade or clean install?" Windows 7 Professional is now available on MSDNAA which you download through your schools. For general public...

Don Norman’s book “ Design of Everyday Things ” taught me the importance of usability, and his book on “ Emotional Design ” taught me the critical role that aesthetics play in overall user experience. When I see designs that beautifully unite both usability and aesthetics, I smile and want to share with...

Hot off the presses!  Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 have hit the RTM Milestone!  From the Windows 7 team blog… I am pleased to announce that Windows 7 has RTM’d! As I mentioned previously, RTM officially happens only after sign-off occurs. What happens is a build gets designated as a RTM contender...

Window 7 Release Candidate is available for public download today! Throughout our EnergizeIT tour last month, many of you came to the events and shared your thoughts on the user experience, performance, application capability and security of Windows 7 Beta.  This feedback was extremely valuable...

As we are wrapping up all our EnergizeIT events this week, I thought to record my demo on Windows 7 Desktop for those of you who couldn’t make the event and would like to take a look. In the 20 mins demo below, I showed the things I like about Win7 from a everyday user perspective. Personalization: desktop...

Functioning Form is one of my favorite design blogs, last Friday author Luke Wroblewski summarized Design Principles from three Microsoft products : Windows 7, Office 2007, and Surface, which I reposted below. I’ve also included the MIX sessions that talk about the design thinking behind each of these...

From now through the end of the MIX09 conference in Las Vegas, Rob Burke will be providing his insights from the conference on a daily basis. Robert Burke is a Toronto-based IT Consultant who’s attending his fourth MIX event this year. By day he’s knee-deep in Microsoft User Experience...

There are lots of exciting announcements coming out of MIX in Vegas this week. Today we shipped Internet Explorer 8 . However,  there’s also plenty to celebrate back home around Silverlight and IE8. Check them out! Watching your favorite TV shows online in HD with Silverlight   CTV Globemedia...

One of the features I really enjoy using on Windows 7 is Search Connectors . It’s a great example of how we blurred the line between computers and the web. Without starting a browser, I can search on Flickr, YouTube, Live Search, Wikipedia, Twitter, etc. just like I search a folder or drive on my computer...

Scenario1: when you browse the web for some foreign food, you come across words you don't know. You want to find out what do they mean quickly in your own language. Scenario 2: you'd like to keep up with your friends status on Facebook. Instead of going to Facebook homepage and logging in, is there a...