It looks like the core Silverlight 3 tools are now available:
- Microsoft Expression Blend 3 + SketchFlow RC
- Microsoft® Silverlight™ 3 SDK
- Microsoft® Silverlight™ 3 Tools for Visual Studio 2008 SP1
- Deep Zoom Composer
Though the tools needed for development seem to be public, I’ve yet to see the end-user run-time; though I imagine we’ll see that in the release anticipated for tomorrow.
Time to have some fun. 
Update: Client run-time is now available.
Microsoft Expression Blend 3 + SketchFlow RC
For those that missed it (like me), the Windows Vista User Experience Guidelines has been updated with some additional content. This update add content in the following areas:
These guidelines are crucial to ensure the most consistent user experience possible. Though many don’t, this is a document that all developers should read. I firmly believe that consistency is the most important single factor in design, and following an established style such as this is a great way to ensure that a UI is as consistent as possible.
If you’d like some background reading, the XP version is still available.
The great Lutz Roeder has released a new version of the .NET Reflector. From what I’ve seen; this version is extremely nice. This has long been a required tool of any serious developer. With this update Reflector has reinforced its position in the list of tools you just can’t live without.
Scott Hanselman provides a great review; check it out for the details on what’s new.
Using Vista? Then I highly recommend getting a decent 1GB+ thumb drive, and use it for ReadyBoost; while the FAQ says 256MB is enough, for best performance I’d shoot for more. There is little difference under normal operation, it’s under high loads that ReadyBoost really shines.
On my main PC (with 1GB RAM), I would see fairly frequent freezes when several applications were open (primarily when memory utilization passed 80%). With a minor upgrade to 1.5GB RAM, and a 1GB thumb-drive* for ReadyBoost, the system became much more stable. This may be among the best new features in Vista.
I’ve frequently blasted Vista for the poor performance compared to XP, but with a few tweaks, it runs quite well.
* These drives (SanDisk Cruzer Mirco U3) work well, once to get the drivers working properly. If possible, pick a different drive; these are a pain at times.
For those that have been looking forward to seeing the final result of Microsoft’s attempt at AJAX, your wait is over. ASP.NET AJAX 1.0 has been released.
I’ve not had time to test this yet, but it sure looks like it has promise. I’ll be playing with this one soon, I’ve got a couple new projects this might be perfect for.
For those that may be running Windows 2000, there’s some things you need to know.
With the change in DST taking effect March 2nd, your Windows 2000 boxes may see some odd behavior. There won’t be Windows Update patch or hot-fix released for this (unless you have an extended support agreement); so there’s some work ahead to keep things running smoothly.
Microsoft has released (read more) a fair bit of information (complete with sample scripts) that can be used to update any 2000 boxes you may have lying around. Those of us that keep 2000 boxes around for testing or even production use will need to make sure they are updated. I can only imagine the odd errors this will cause if these changes aren’t put in place.
This is a bit of an annoyance, I really wish Microsoft would have released this in the form of a Windows Update, though I guess this will probably help drive home the reality that it’s time to upgrade for many users.
