Adam Maras and I had the opportunity to interview Roger Capriotti about the features and user interface of Internet Explorer 9, as well as some of the thoughts which led to what we see in current builds. What we gathered is that Microsoft’s goal isn’t to build a better browser, but that the Internet Explorer team is dedicated to making the web experience as seamless as native applications… which just so happens to requires a better browser.

One point discussed off camera is the amount of feedback regarding the new UI: power users make up the vast majority of feedback about having the address bar and the tab strip on separate rows. If you ask me, I’d say that the interface itself makes it easier for normal users to appreciate the local-application-like nature that many sites have now embraced, perhaps at the expense of power users (who are likely harder to convert from other browser anyway).

Adam and I will be following this up with a discussion about the current state of user interfaces soon, so this isn’t the end of UI talk.

RIM’s Playbook, here at CES, is their first true public shot at anything bigger than a phone. There’s no price point mentioned yet (other than merely the word “competitive,” which puts it at around 500-600 or so), but it’s slated for Q1 2011, i.e. soon. Bob Hansen of NBC San Diego conducted one run-through, and I did my own soon after. I uploaded both to span questions asked in each run-through of the device.

Catch both after the break.

It’s been six years of absolute fun, but over the next few weeks, we’re going to be re-evaluating the purpose of winJade before deciding whether or not to fold the community or repurpose it. Put simply, times have changed, both in the world of Windows and amongst many of those involved with the site. To give some perspective, a quick run-through of the history of AeroXperience/winJade may prove worthwhile.

When Victor and Stan started AeroXperience back in 2004, it was built as a portal for users to collaborate as they dug through Microsoft’s latest endeavor, namely Windows Code Name “Longhorn.” This community was known for breaking some of the biggest bits of news, such as the discovery of DWM within the public builds and the first use of features (such as WinFS and Avalon) later destined to either thrive or falter. AeroXperience became a haven for people looking to sift through the code and find whatever they could.

As time passed and Longhorn inevitably reached fruition (despite Microsoft’s setbacks), something new was needed. Other than a main blog, which Bryant spearheaded with posts and videos in an effort to bring unique content to the world of Windows, the community was slowly transformed into a portal for general Windows discussion, not unlike the many other similar sites which existed (and still exist).

During and after this transition of nature, we’ve continued to break stories in the world of Microsoft, be it word about Windows 7 before anyone else, stories such as the ability to selectively disable Internet Explorer, a first for Microsoft, or in-depth analyses such as the nature of the Zune meltdown almost two years ago to the day.

In addition to content, we have had many unique and talented individuals pass through AeroXperience and winJade on their ways towards their current states. Stephen Chapman was known for outputting some of the greatest releases of content the Windows world has ever known, and he now calls his SEO blog at ZDNet home. Rafael Rivera pitched in many times to help the site and to produce content, and he’s now a successful author of at least one critically acclaimed book in addition to running Within Windows, his own personal playground devoted to peering into anything Microsoft puts out. We even had amongst our ranks a now-heavy-hitting iPhone developer, name withheld, who landed us our first Cease and Desist from any corporation, which (surprisingly, given our primary content) came from Apple.

We are proud to say that we’ve worked with all three of them among many others over the history of this fantastic site, and we will forever consider everyone who ever contributed to winJade, be they members, staff, or outside forces such as affiliates, fantastic friends. We are also proud to have produced one of the most enthusiastic communities the Windows world has ever seen, and we are finally most proud that we’ve been able to contribute to an ever-changing climate in the technology industry.

As for winJade itself, we have, in essence, two options:

1. We can fold the site and move our separate ways. Stan will continue to contribute to the C# development community as he always has, and Bryant will likely move his efforts either into studying and discussing user experience or information security, two of his current passions.
2. We can repurpose the site as a development hub for focused, high-potential projects. We would spearhead efforts in this field given Stan’s extensive background in development and Bryant’s will to see an idea he’s had for years finally become reality.

The original purpose of winJade was to become a hub for such focused projects, be they small works designed to enhance everyone’s computing experience to unique applications potentially capable of revolutionizing aspects of how we see the world today.

These are our options. However, in the meantime, Bryant is attending CES next week and will provide one last burst of video to bring to a head all of our efforts here as we re-evaluate where we go from here. Once a decision has been made, an archive of the forums and blog posts will be posted for everyone’s perusal.

How many different consumer online platforms does Microsoft have right now?

• Bing
• MSN
• Windows Live
• XBOX Live
• Zune Marketplace

That’s just a quick braindump; there are probably more, but for the purposes of my quick bout with insanity, this should suffice.  The way I see it, Microsoft is rapidly losing branding focus, and while this doesn’t sound like something that matters in this age of Web 2.name-it-whatever, it is an issue for Microsoft, and it extends beyond the world of Microsoft’s online properties.

Jump to see why I think this is becoming a problem. Yeah, it’s long, but this is one of the few times when an overly long post is justified.

Bing, MSN, and Windows Live share the same origin, which is to say, they all came from The Microsoft Network. MSN came about as a name because it used to be an ISP, though that’s in the distant online past. Later, MSN transformed into a general online content and services platform, with MSN Messenger, the MSN launch page, MSN Search, et al. finding themselves all a part of one platform.

Windows Live found its way into existence after being toyed around as “start.com” (which you’ll now notice redirects to Bing) and later coming into existence as just plain “Live” before becoming Windows Live down the road. While MSN was designed to deliver predefined content much like Yahoo’s default portal, the idea behind Live was to deliver a personalized services experience, from a customizable launch page to various user services such as Messenger. The justification for the Windows Live branding was that Windows Live as a platform was an extension of the Windows experience.

Bing was officially launched June 3, 2009. Before Bing, Microsoft’s search efforts started under MSN before progressing to Live, Windows Live, and then back to Live again in the form of “Live Search". The name itself was chosen because the guys with Kumo (the testing name for Bing) “needed a brand that was as fresh and new as [their] approach. It needed to be like the product — optimized for the Internet.” In other words, it’s yet another web 2.0 name, though thankfully, I seem to have at least been somewhat wrong about the name being a major problem.

So, the end result of this is a jumbled series of online platforms which accomplish only marginally different tasks. MSN is a generic online launch page, while Bing is Microsoft’s version of the plain search page. The customizable launch page concept is now kinda-sorta over at home.live.com, while any further-personal services and extra Windows apps from Microsoft have been tucked under the Windows Live brand name. I can see the logic, but unless Microsoft’s goal is to make some properties look like they’re from Microsoft while making others look as distant as possible while still retaining some association, this sort of fractured online presence just feels much more confusing than it needs to be.

Do you see Google squaring fundamentally similar yet differently functional apps away under vastly different names? GMail (Google Mal), Google Shopping, Google News, iGoogle, Google Google Google Google Great you get the idea. They’re all people-services, and as a result, they all share the same root name. There was a time when Google was slightly branding-confuzzled (froogle), but they’ve rightfully straightened out.

The reason for why I’m busy throwing gray matter at the wall this morning, though, is that there’s just no reason for the Windows brand to fall victim to the same fate. Once upon a time, Windows meant something. The name was directly related to the concept behind the user interface itself, and this has held steadfastly true (the exception being Windows Live, but Windows Live was meant as a tie-in for Windows users) up until Mobile World Congress this year.

Windows Phone 7 is exactly the kind of gradual brandicide that Microsoft really doesn’t need to be committing, whether it’s against Windows or against Zune. I’m inclined to see it as being the eventual downfall of the term “Windows” as a meaningful Microsoft brand for one simple reason:

Do you see any windows in the UI?

Nope. Neither do I. In fact, I see a data-centric user interface in Windows Phone 7, whereas the entire user experience in Windows (including Windows Mobile) up until now has been function/application-centric. With a UI which is so fundamentally different from the original concept of the brand itself, what’s the point of even calling it “Windows”-anything at all? There are no windows, there is no traditional window-oriented multitasking, and the entire UI is many miles away from the Windows concept. In fact, I can explain exactly where this name came from in a few simple points:

• 7 has proven to be worth something in the consumer’s mind thanks to the success of Windows 7.
• Windows 7 and Windows Phone 7 sound similar
• A name close to Windows Mobile was needed so that people could associate it with its completely unrelated cousin without reminding people of the horrors of the old Windows Mobile platform, hence why it’s now Windows Phone.

That’s it. Microsoft essentially decided to take the cheap road and draw heavily from other successful brands despite simultaneously butchering the inherent meaning in the most important name in Microsoft’s history. Whether this was or wasn’t the conscious reason is beside the point; this is absolutely why the name was chosen.

Seriously, do you see any windows in that UI?

Speculation that Microsoft would release a Zune phone, in my opinion, was 100% correct. The only difference is that Microsoft decided to stay away from the Zune name in order to ensure its short-term success. The Windows Phone 7 UI is brilliant in execution, but the problem is that both the name and the UI concept are a huge risk. If Windows Phone 7’s roll-out doesn’t go as planned, if apps stay limited (Zune HD is a great example), or if  Microsoft flubs something up down the line beyond Windows Phone 7 (think Windows Phone 8), more than just that brand will be compromised. Furthermore, if Microsoft proves yet again to know what its doing with its mobile division upon the release of Windows Phone 8, 9, etc., then the brand will further dilute.

Microsoft needs to sort its branding priorities. In the online sector, I can understand the split between Windows Live and Bing, but I see no reason for MSN to be separate from either platform. It’s so closely related to both Windows Live and Bing that it can go under either as another subordinate property. On the flip side, keeping branding separate between Microsoft’s mobile and desktop properties would almost definitely be a better idea: Zune HD is a fantastic device which suffers from terrible advertising, while Windows Phone 7 is definitely not a Windows Phone at all. Zune Phone or Zune Mobile would almost definitely have been better names for the OS itself given the interface similarities (heck, just call it Zune OS. It’s not as if people don’t already know that Zune is a Microsoft mobile property anyway). Microsoft has the backing to make sure the Zune name becomes successful, but Microsoft’s marketing teams feel so compelled to keep some of their brands unnecessarily interwoven in order to ensure short-term success that they’re doing damage to the very foundation of the brands in question.

While Microsoft’s mobile product development teams did indeed have the guts to try something new and go metro, Microsoft’s mobile marketing teams seem to be unwilling to take risks (conversely, Microsoft’s online branding teams seem to be taking too many).

In short, name your similar apples apples and your similar oranges oranges, but don’t name your apples and oranges peaches.

Did I get it wrong? Drop me a line in the comments and I’ll either address your thoughts, edit accordingly, or both.

What’s the best way to tell the whole world that your competitors are actually gaining on you against the founding premise of your business? Start advertising that one service you’ve never had to advertise. Google did just that during Super Bowl XLIV, showing off not a phone nor even a new service, but merely an ad promoting Google Search.

Since Bing and Yahoo are effectively on the same side and Bing has been gaining marketshare against Google, this is an obvious sign that Google actually feels threatened by Bing.

Competition is good. Windows 7 arose out of competitive need, and we might now see two amazing search platforms arise out of a heated Google v. Bing war. I’m looking forward to it.

NVIDIA confirmed last night their intention to launch their Fermi-based GF100 graphics cards during Q1 2010 now that delays in the Fermi architecture have been settled. The board and others in the Fermi lineup will include DirectX 11 support while adding other features such as live raytracing to the mix.

The demo box was running the UNiGiNE benchmark, and while I didn’t have time to run through that benchmark last night, I will have time to run through it after this morning’s NVIDIA press conference in just under three hours.

Catch the video of GF100 after the break!

Watch in High Definition

ASUS (pronounced ah-soos, apparently) demonstrated four laptops at their press conference yesterday. Announced were

• the ASUS NX90 Bang&Olufsen concept (pictured).
• a new line of EeePCs designed by Karim Rashid.
• ASUS’ latest gaming laptop, the G73. It wasn’t branded as a Ferrari or Lamborghini this time.
• the U Series Bamboo Collection.

All of them had an unusual focus on aesthetics, with each focusing on some theme related to the target market. The G73 took on a stealth look, while the U Series focused on Bamboo (the explanation was that Bamboo grows back quickly, though the laptop isn’t exactly green in any other sense). The Karim Rashid EeePC and the Bang & Olufsen laptops are both designed for the sake of design. I’m not entirely certain how usable the dual trackpad design of the B&O concept is, but it does make for a clean design.

As for specs, the G73 and the NX90 are top-tier, with both allowing for the use of quad-core Core i7 processors. The G73 uses AMD’s Radeon 5870 for the GPU, while the Bang & Olufsen concept focuses on nvidia’s wares by using the GeForce GT 335M. The Bamboo collection can run with either Core i7 or Core i5 processors, while the EeePC sticks to the latest generation Intel Atom.

Videos of the NX90, the EeePCs, and the U Series are after the break. I’m still working on the G73.

After the Chevy Volt and OnStar mobile app demonstration by the guys of GM, I got some quick time with Walt Dorfstatter, president of GM’s remote assistance subsidiary OnStar. There were only three questions I had for Walt since the Chevy Volt, no matter how spectacular a vehicle it has shown itself to be thus far, isn’t actually a part of what winJade’s focus. The questions focused on possible future platforms for the app (Windows Mobile was not mentioned while the iPhone was), the inspiration for creating a mobile app for the sake of controlling OnStar in the first place. and whether applications such as these could boost subscriptions.

Check it out after the break!

Starting today, I’ll be at the Consumer Electronics show looking for new Microsoft-related happenings. This means that I’ll be skipping a lot of the new TV-related news (3D TV, basically) and most other home entertainment bits. Most of what I catch will either be with computers or Microsoft-based gadgetry.

That said, if you’re looking for broad CES coverage beyond video interviews and reviews, be sure to watch Neowin’s dedicated CES-related postings.

Enjoy the show!

My thanks goes, as noted before, to Microsoft for providing the licenses to give away. Best of luck to you all!

Last Update: the final drawing has been completed. Congratulations to @wizardcm for winning the last license! I’ll strive to find more to give away from CES.

Windows 7 launched on October 22nd to mass fanfare, and a good friend of mine at the event thought it would be fantastic to spread the Windows 7 spirit. In addition to assisting with Mary Jo’s Windows 7 afterparty in NYC (giveaway video here), he passed a few licenses my way to give away on winJade, so here it goes.

I’ve got three Windows 7 Ultimate licenses to give away (pictured above), and they’ll be given away as follows:

• The first on Christmas Day (25th). @yertosaurus nabbed this one!
• The second on December 28. @migue333 won this license!
• The last on December 31. @wizardcm got this last license!

If you want one, dive in to find out what you need to do. It’s pretty simple.

There are three steps for you to take part:

1. Tell us what you think is the best new feature in Windows 7. You can expand on this with whatever else you want, such as what you wished made it into Windows 7 prior to RTM or what you hope ends up in Windows 8. Remember to comment with a valid email address, and a valid twitter URL (twitter.com/yourtwittername) as the URL in your comment. Otherwise, I’ve got no way of getting in touch with you if you’ve won. If your comment doesn’t immediately appear, don’t fret; I need to approve comments before they show up, but I’ll still see your comment either way.
2. Follow @eganist on Twitter. Otherwise, you’ll have no real way of knowing whether or not you won, which would truly suck if you happened to be one of the ones to win..
3. Retweet This. Or, if you’d prefer using your own client, just tweet “RT @eganist Win 1 of 3 #Windows7 Ultimate licenses for Christmas, New Years’ from #winJade: http://is.gd/5v9lu” without quotes.

I need at least 100 qualifying retweets by 11:50 AM Eastern Time on Christmas Day for this giveaway to go ahead, so be sure to enter!

Each retweet counts as an entry, so if you want multiple chances to win, you can retweet that line (at most) once every 12 hours. The comment and any tweets need to be up before the drawing dates listed above to qualify for said drawing dates. That’s it, really. 

Regarding shipping, here’s the thing: I can send the physical disc to any winners within the continental United States. However, I cannot ship the disc on my own to any winners outside the continental United States. As such, if you happen to win and you’re not in the continental United States (meaning the 48 states that happen to be touching each other), you have a choice of either reimbursing my shipping costs or agreeing to receive only the key on one of these discs. To the rest of you within the continental United States, if you happen to win, we’ll discuss how to get this thing to your place via email.

I should note that Microsoft employees, any employees working with the PR firms Waggener Edstrom and Edelman, as well as close friends and immediate family of me or anyone working for winJade cannot participate (it would be unfair, and you know it).