About this time last year I was taking a short break with my SO in Vegas, no business just pleasure.
This year the hordes of conventioneers have been led to Sin City by Microsoft at its third annual MIX event. To quote the event introduction:
Now in its third year, MIX is an intimate opportunity for cutting-edge technical, creative and business strategists to engage Microsoft in a conversation about the future of the web.
This seems very promising, however trolling through the news posts I have found a mixed bag of attitudes to MS (they will be a bit thick skinned to these by now). Considering it has only really started today (Tuesday) the nay-sayers seem to be jumping the gun a bit with thier prophecies of doom for Redmond !
At the moment the main web focus of interest is around SIlverlight and its appearance on a Nokia phone near you, additionally the Air/Gears/Expeditor off-line capabilty that will come eventually to MS 2.0 platform attracts some attention.
Microsoft recent toe-dipping in to hosted waters with Exchange and Sharepoint has generally met with a throughouly underwhelmed response which is a bit of shame - if the war is with Google then I have yet to see any casualties Medivac'd out.
My curiousity will as ever be piqued by Ray Ozzie's keynote on Wednesday, although he is getting some 'where's the meat' press recently I do hope Rays ability to innovate and lead will have a clear opportunity to shine - in the silverlight probably.
I predict that in the (entirely predictable) upcoming 2.0 wars with everyone trying to be the alpha - male in the SaaS emerging market that there will be no winners, just losers.
We are all backing the wrong horse. Remember in Vegas its only the 'house' that wins.