Category Archives: Software

Don’t buy Windows 8 a coffin just yet

It’s only been a month and people are already ringing the death knell for Windows 8.

From pieces like this one claiming Windows 8 is an opportunity for Apple, to reviews panning the Microsoft Surface with RT, the tide has turned, from excitement and enthusiasm for Microsoft taking such a bold step, to opprobrium and ridicule for getting some things wrong with the latest release of their operating system.

As an Apple user and advocate for nearly two decades, I was always comfortable gloating that Apple seemed to get the User Interface right more often than not, even when the underlying operating system was a little flaky at times, to say the least. The interface always improved, even when the OS continued to fail.

Remember System 7.5? ’nuff said.

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The year of coding

NB: updated July 24, 2013

A recent WordPress Sydney meetup got me thinking. Is it useful for writers, designers, journalists, or any other people who do stuff that touches the web, to know how to code?

One of the presenters was guiding some people through what it takes to create a WordPress Theme. For the uninitiated, a WordPress theme is the part that sits between the WordPress application (which is a Content Management System) and the user’s browser, to pull the content and page elements together for the webpage.

Dee Teal mentioned there are courses available on teamTreehouse for Web Design, Web Development and iOS development. It’s a great service where you pay by the month and take as much tuition as you can handle. It’s a great service but if you’re uncertain of your commitment level before paying anything, I have a few free suggestions below to dip your toe in to ignite your developmental spark.

Before you start though it is useful to understand a few basics about coding for the web.

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