ASP.NET 2.0 Vs. Everything Else

A few months ago I began learning ASP.NET using Visual Web Developer and the tools that come with it. ASP.NET 2.0 is a web application frame work, created by Microsoft and used to develop dynamic website applications. This language is the alternative to PHP for website development.

As far as hosting goes, ASP.NET 2.0 will need to use a Windows server ,while PHP can use a Linux.

As a semi-Noob web developer, I had only been using PHP for website development, while of course utilize MySQL for database applications. The programs I used to develop websites with PHP and MySQL was Dreamweaver. While, I coded most of the websites by hand, Dreamweaver helped me to organize my sites and the CSS files I was using.

ASP.NET 2.0 on the other hand, is typically used with the Microsoft web editing program, "Visual Web Developer." The Visual Web Developer Express version is absolutely free, and even comes with a free small server to test out your applications.
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The reason I'm even talking about this right now, is because I was baffled, amazed, star struck and excited when I first decided to take the plunge and begin using Visual Web Developer and ASP.NET 2.0. I'm sure there are others out there who are thinking, "....Noob..." But, still, there may be others thinking, "Really? I should try it!" Yes...YOU SHOULD! The language is far more intuitive than PHP, Visual web developer is all around BETTER (for lack of a better word) than Dreamweaver, and you can begin creating dynamic websites and database driven applications in no time at all.

I'm officially in love, and will never go back to using PHP unless I want to play with my favorite CMS programs I have spent so much time learning, like the Open Source Software Joomla.

I also wanted to help anyone out there, who may have a similar skill set, find quality books to guide you on your way to learning ASP.NET 2.0 and Visual Web developer. When I first fell in love, I bought 5 ASP.NET books. Yep, count em' 5! That's because I'm crazy like that. Now, to help you avoid making any mistakes like I did, and purchasing 5 very expensive programming books, here's the run down on the books I bought and who they're for, in order of **My favorites!*** to ***My least Favorites***. Now, my favorites may not necessarily be your favorites.

Check out the list at my latest post:

Visual Web Developer and ASP.NET 2.0 Best Books

New Microsot Photosynth: 3 dimensional Outer Photo Space

Microsoft has this cool new gadget called Photosynth. It takes a large collection of photos from you or other areas of the web that relate to one particular space or setting. Think...Venice, Italy or Disney World. Then, analyzes them for similarities, and displays them in a reconstructed three-dimensional space.

This new tool is so cool, I almost don't believe they can do it.

According to the Microsoft Lab page, the Microsoft Photosynth enables you to:

• Walk or fly through a scene to see photos from any angle
• Seamlessly zoom in or out of a photo whether it's megapixels or gigapixels in size
• See where pictures were taken in relation to one another
• Find similar photos to the one you're currently viewing
• Send a collection - or a particular view of one - to a friend

The project takes multiple photos, flashed from multiple angles on one particular place. Like a cathedral, museum, etc. These photos could have all been taken by one person, or collected from multiple people over the web. Their sophisticated program, uses some kind of algorithm to identify what angle each photo was from, how big the actual image is in comparison to the others and ultimately relates them all in a logical way.

Once it has accomplished this, it puts the photos in a 3-D space and allows the viewer to navigate through it as if navigating through some flash model on the web, but instead of being animated models, it's the true photos all placed in their perspective area of the full scene. It's too crazy to explain, you will have to test it out for yourself. You can actually test it right now very easily, and I am just about positive you have NEVER seen anything like it.

Check out the new Microsoft Photosynth 3-D Space Tech Preview

By channeling the sophistication of say, Google's multi-media searching method and this new Photosynth, it could enable anyone, from anywhere to see full fledged realistic 3-D versions of anything, anywhere!

External Link Resources

Launch Microsoft Photosynth Tech Preview
Microsoft Photosynth Photo Collections
Photosynth Video: Watch the Making of Photosynth

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