Why Windows Live Hotmail is not competitive?

Today I had to check an e-mail in my old hotmail account. First of all, a 404 message in the two left frames – I didn’t mind it – the login frame was there.
I needed to check the header information of the e-mail. And much to my surprise – I did not see an option “show headers”, “show original” or “save original message”.
I switched to the new, full-featured Live Hotmail version.
Well, this feature seems not important for Microsoft developers. Note that Gmail, Yahoo, and every competitive email system has such an option.
Another complaint – the vertical e-mail preview, where the screen it split in two. 1/3 of my FireFox, google-toolbarred+stumble toolbarred screen is taken by the logo and the banner above. I feel like having claustrophobia.

I just don’t want to know what more ‘good surprises’ will Hotmail present to me.
In conclusion, MS seems to underestimate ergonomic and functionality. How come they want to have users? If this is based only on the “wide-spreadness” of Windows, their days are counted. Imho.

First look at Google Android – a bit of disappointment?

As every hyped product, Google’s Android attracts developers attention. So did it with me, I downloaded the SDK, and starting coding some simple things.
Let me summarize:

• I felt a bit strange when all constructors of UI components required a Context parameter (“this” in most cases). I’m pretty sure there should be some reason for that, and it is not a big problem, I suppose
• Lots of XML. Everything (yes, even UI components) is declared in xml files. Which I, and I suppose many more, hate. You see – no one tells you about typos in the xml config, which is pain in.. Yes, the UI components might be done the _normal_ way – programatically – but you need to declare every screen, and every screen transition in the xml file. I’m sure there is a reason for this, too, but it surely does not warm my feelings
• The Emulator is buggy. Just go the Google Groups to see all the complaints about it

And not to be all pessimistic, Android seems to offer a very wide scope of functionality and application interoperability (that’s why it is a platform, after all). Each application can use common resources, communicate with other applications, etc. Maybe here’s why we have to write all those XMLs, but having already tweaked the VM, can’t they spare us the xml-part?

Despite some major public concerns that Android can “fracture Java”, I think this is just a framework. Yes, it has it’s own VM, but the Java code you write is the same – it just runs only if the framework is supported by the device. And for mobile devices, we all know, “write once, run everywhere” is a myth.

In conclusion, Android may turn to have some big flaws, and not be comfortable for developers. We will see when the hype is over.

Feed readers’ view-styles

Today we have a new version of Google Reader, and here’s why I decided to comment on the ways feeds can be presented.

The new version of Google Reader is, of course, better than the previous, where I felt trapped in the tiny boxes. Still, however, I feel uncomfortable with it – I have to click here and there if I have to see what is new.
The same issue (I’d not call it a problem) lies in most feed readers – the tree-like organization of feeds.
On the other hand, many of you may know about Netvibes – a Web 2.0, ajax-based application that might look as a complete mess at first sight – all headlines listed in boxes all over the screen. But what we have to keep in mind is, that the human brain is not organized tree-like. And so the use of such chaotic interface is much a comfort. Maybe If I hadn’t used netvibes I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable with other feed readers, who knows.