Developers! Developers! Developers! Greetings from the Microsoft PDC in LA – it’s Mark Relph from the Windows Ecosystem Team. I hope everyone is enjoying PDC this year either here in person or watching the stream at microsoftpdc.com. I wanted to give you a sense of what the Windows Ecosystem team is doing at PDC and the conversations we are having with our amazing developer community at the show. I just walked out of the Day 2 keynote that featured Steven Sinofsky, President of the Windows & Windows Live Division and it was fantastic! (for a couple of big reasons)

A Hallway Discussion about Building Windows 7

Steven’s keynote began as a “hallway discussion” about how we developed Windows 7. We learned a lot from the Windows 7 development process. Steven described the engagement we had with beta testers, partners and the developer community across various channels including the “Engineering 7” blog and the Windows Ecosystem Readiness Program. These programs helped us to make sure developers had the resources they needed to be ready for Windows 7. We also found that a disciplined release and disclosure cycle was invaluable. Everyone wants to get code sooner, but having API complete and feature complete code that is actionable is far more valuable. This extended to our disclosure by ensuring all information was accurate and actionable to ensure we provided the ecosystem with correct information.

One of the key highlights from Sinofsky’s keynote was the role of telemetry and research in developing Windows 7. Telemetry is the broad set of tools we use to assess the engineering “integrity” of the Windows platform and how Windows is performing in the real world. This real world data has been incredibly valuable for us in enhancing the product. Without customers opting in to participate and send us real time data- we would not be able to make some of the improvements we made. Beyond the telemetry is the qualitative view—the type of research we do to gain an in depth understanding of how people use their PCs and what problems people would like to be solved. As developers we often feel “we know” what customers want. These are some of the tools that help us to remove our observer biases and to walk in the shoes of real customers.

The Windows 7 Ecosystem - Great Hardware Powered By Great Software

Steven then shifted to a focus on Developing for Windows 7. Steven’s keynote highlighted how vibrant the ecosystem around Windows 7 is. Along with Mike Angiulo, they demonstrated the opportunity developers have to take advantage of the range of hardware devices that run Windows. The ecosystem around Windows is really amazing. Think about the install base - there are more than one billion users who use Windows.  Those users want great applications and there are 3 million programmers building applications around the world and 90 percent of those developers target Windows.   You could also look at our telemetry from the beta cycle which shows more than 800,000 unique applications (which includes multiple versions, 32/64 bit & languages) running on Windows 7 during the beta timeframe.  From packaged ISV software, shareware and custom applications the number of applications available for Windows 7 is measured in the hundreds of thousands. Only 3 weeks after the launch of Windows 7 we know that over 25,000 applications from our partners in the Microsoft Partner Program have a public statement of support for Windows. Even more partners are striving for a higher quality bar by earning the “Compatible with Windows 7” logo. Today, 1700 hardware and software companies have delivered over 9,000 logo’d products.  Many partners are also coming out with public statements of support. One way to measure that is the Windows 7 Compatibility Center which provides compatibility information and upgrade path for some of the most commonly used products on the market. We have had 2 million visitors to the site since its launch on October 20^th. Today, there are over 25,000 products listed on the site with both 32-bit and 64-bit compatibility status and our database that is constantly growing. Finally if you take into account market impact, over the last several years, NPD data tells us that the top 4000 applications generated $4 billion in sales. This speaks volumes to the strength of the software ecosystem.   As I post this blog, it is clear that the Windows ecosystem is growing and thriving.

Speaking Of Hardware….

Steven spent a few minutes talking about what it takes to build a laptop. The decisions about processors, memory, inputs, video and the drivers the make the experience great. He talked about working with our friends at Acer to really experience what it takes to build a great PC. Speaking of hardware, there was one really big surprise…….

For all the full conference attendees of PDC09 we giving away a “PDC Special Edition” laptop!! It’s a cool machine and Brandon will be posting a full review on the machine to this blog very soon.

Finally, Steven talked about the future of IE. I won’t cover the details here, but my colleague Dean Hachamovitch will speak to the news over on the IE Blog.

Announcing the Winners of The Code7 Contest

Another way to look at the health of the ecosystem is individual innovation. Over the last few months we gave developers around the globe the opportunity to show the world their talents in the Code7 Developer Contest. Developers across multiple countries answered the call and we had finalists from around the world join us at PDC to show off their work for the final judging. I had the pleasure of hosting the final event during the pre-PDC Windows Developer Bootcamp. I’m pleased to announce the grand prize winner is Benjamin Bondi from the Middle East & Africa for his application called “Notes Everywhere” a WPF client that enables you to manage desktop notes everywhere by leveraging Windows 7 and Windows Azure. Benjamin will receive $17,777 and the accolades of his peers in the developer community!

The momentum of the ecosystem and excitement of developers has made PDC an amazing event to be a part of. Sinofsky’s movie theater analogy from the keynote is the best way to describe it. We’ve built a great theatre with awesome sound, a great projector, good snacks, and comfortable seats - but the theatre is only as good as the movie that brings it to life. The same can be said about Windows 7 – it is a great OS supported by amazing hardware & software. If you are a developers and want to bring your application to life on the big screen then think about building the modern Windows application by building on – the Ribbon User Interface, Jump Lists & Progress Bars, Libraries, Multi-touch, Ink, Speech, DirectX®, High Definition Audio/Video, sensors and a connection to the cloud. Check out a few of the resources available to you at the Windows Developer Center and watch for the Windows specific sessions from the PDC as they become available online at microsoftpdc.com

This holiday, Saks Fifth Avenue and Windows 7 are working together to bring the magic of the season to life. For the first time, the legendary Saks Fifth Avenue’s holiday windows will be powered by Windows 7. Additionally, Saks customers will have the opportunity to interact with the newly launched Windows 7 in store through PC lounges.

While this may seem an unusual pairing, the best holiday traditions are the simple ones. Windows and Saks are bringing a 60 year holiday tradition to life and celebrating the simple things that make this time of year special, spending time with family, connecting with friends and sharing good cheer. In addition, fashion and technology are hot items this holiday season and consumers today want their personal technology, like their fashion, to be as unique as they are. Just as Saks Fifth Avenue enables customers to find their personal style, Windows 7 gives customers the ability to customize their PC experience.

Saks’ holiday windows have always been about telling a heart-warming story. Windows 7 will help tell this year’s story, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Flake, with greater detail and excitement, as customers will find holiday windows enhanced through technology. Together, the two companies will share holiday cheer while entertaining New Yorkers and tourists alike in a new and captivating way. The Center 6 windows on 5th Avenue will showcase several of the book’s vibrant scenes and bring Twinkle’s world to life before shoppers’ very eyes.

In the store, customers will experience Windows 7 PCs first hand and ask Microsoft experts questions about both the hardware and software featured. 

Now that Windows 7 is available, we’re seeing more and more demand from customers, OEMs and telcos to include the new OS on their PCs. I’m excited to announce that later this month; AT&T is offering subsidized mobile broadband plans on the Acer Aspire One and the Samsung Go Netbook PCs, featuring Windows 7. More info can be found here.

This is the first time AT&T will be launching its 3G service for Windows 7 netbook PCs; it’s a great pairing given these devices are used primarily by people on the go for work, school, travel or just moving from room to room in the house.

Many telecommunications companies are joining this trend – in fact, more than 50 providers in the US and internationally will be deploying Windows 7 PCs by 2010. They’re seeing that Windows 7 supports netbook PCs in a way that offers a better experience than ever before. Why?

• Windows 7 netbook PCs are the perfect companion device and are familiar and easy to use. People don’t want “complicated” when they’re moving around – they need an OS that’s simple, works the way they want and opens doors to new possibilities in computing.
• Customers want a complete, connected experience across their phones, netbook PCs, laptops, desktops, and TVs. They want connectivity everywhere regardless of device; this makes that possible.
• In the same way that Windows XP made Wi-Fi mainstream for the first time, Windows 7 has the potential to do the same to 3G and at the same time redefine what people come to expect from their PCs while they’re on the go.
• Customers like that they’re seeing cost reductions through data and voice bundling on netbook PCs and they’re seeing lower-cost PCs through subsidization.

In addition to AT&T’s announcement, you may have heard recently at TechEd Europe that UK-based Vodafone announced support for Device Stage. Canadian telecommunications company Sierra Wireless is doing the same. You can find more information about Device Stage in a previous blog post, but suffice to say that this is a positive step toward providing even more connectivity possibilities to the Windows 7 experience.

An inaccurate quote has been floating around the Internet today about the design origins of Windows 7 and whether its look and feel was “borrowed” from Mac OS X.  Unfortunately this came from a Microsoft employee who was not involved in any aspect of designing Windows 7. I hate to say this about one of our own, but his comments were inaccurate and uninformed. If you’re interested in learning more about the design of Windows 7, I suggest reading this AP story with Julie Larson-Green as well as these WSJ (membership required) and Fast Company articles. And here is one of many blog posts on the E7 blog discussing the design process of Windows 7.

It has been quite amazing to watch the global excitement build around Windows 7, especially during a tough economic climate. It was just a few short weeks ago that we learned about Windows 7 outselling the UK's "own" Harry Potter. In Japan, anxious PC users waited in line to be one of the first to get their hands on Windows 7. And just today, according to the NPD groups' weekly tracking service, Windows 7 software unit sales in the U.S. increased 234% over Windows Vista's first few days of sales.  "A combination of factors impacted Windows 7 PC sales at the outset, but the trajectory of overall PC sales is very strong leading into the holiday season," said Stephen Baker at NPD.

Magic.

In case you haven’t already heard, I wanted to let you know that we’ve launched Internet TV in Windows Media Center for Windows 7 users. Internet TV lets you watch videos from a variety of providers via the Internet right in Windows Media Center in addition to live and recorded TV (if you have a TV tuner for your PC).

For Windows 7, Internet TV has been updated with enhancements to the UI and features more content from new content providers. Those providers include the CBS Audience Network, Zune (Full Zune Video Podcast Library available), MSNBC, MSN, and more.

And you can access Internet TV right from the Guide in Windows Media Center!

Internet TV is currently now available for free for people running Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate. The CBS Audience Network and the Zune Video Podcast Library in Internet TV is only be available within the U.S. but Internet TV is also available in the UK with content from Sky and MSN.

UPDATE: Internet TV will be able in the UK coming soon with content from Sky and MSN.

Also now available is Netflix for Windows Media Center in Windows 7!

Right from Windows Media Center, you can access your Instant Queue to play movies and TV shows and browse the Netflix library and add movies or TV shows to your Instant Queue or Instant Queue. Netflix in Windows Media Center is only available in the U.S. today as Netflix On-Demand (“Instant Watch”) videos are available only in the U.S.

Fire Windows Media Center in Windows 7 up today and give both Internet TV and Netflix a spin!

For more on Windows Media Center in Windows 7, I highlight recommend you check out my post from earlier last month on the 7 great things about Windows Media Center in Windows 7.

Brad Brooks demonstrated Internet TV and Netflix during the keynote at the New York City Windows 7 Launch Event on October 22^nd. You can watch the keynote from the event on-demand from the PressPass Windows 7 Virtual Presskit site.