Blu Graphing Calculator for Windows 8 will be free for a limited time only! Happy Holidays :)

Not much to say here. Absolutely free for a limited time only. After that price will go back up to the regular $1.99. Happy Holidays :).

Tarek

Free e-Book: Programming Windows 8 Apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

If you are looking for a great resource for building Windows 8 apps using HTML/CSS/Javascript this book is a great resource. 

You can download it as a free e-book here or buy a hard copy from Amazon.

I’m honored to be mentioned in the Acknowledgements section of this book.

I’m Betting My Startup on Windows 8, Here’s Why

The release date of Windows 8, 10/26/2012, was also my last day as a Microsoft employee. I left Microsoft to work on my startup: Apexa. Apexa will focus on Windows 8 development.

I’m betting on Windows 8. As a first time entrepreneur, this is not an easy decision to make. Here are my reasons.

1- Windows 8 is a new start for Windows
I know this is the marketing jargon. There are some reason that also make it real. The main thing for me was building Windows 8 Apps using HTML/CSS/JavaScript.

As a web developer, the learning curve to start building on Window 8 was not as steep as learning other platforms. More importantly, I could use thousands of existing JavaScript libraries. For example, within Blu Graphing Calculator for Windows 8, I use:

It also means many existing in-app services will work right out of the box. I use MixPanel for instrumentation and Ratchet.io for JavaScript and .NET error tracking. Both of these services don’t list Windows 8 as a supported platform. 

2- Apps work on tablets, laptops and desktops

Some people like touch, others prefer mouse and keyboard. Some like small form factors, others prefer a dual monitor setup. Many people also can’t afford these choices, they just want a fully working PC for $300. My apps on Windows 8 work with all these scenarios.

3- Windows 8 Pro is Backwards Compatible

On my Lenovo X220 Tablet, I use Windows Store apps while running Photoshop, Office and Visual Studio. This means my apps can target productivity scenarios.

4- Windows just sells

Love or hate it, Windows 8 is a great opportunity for developers. Windows just sells. Windows 7 sold more 600 million copies in under three years. That is, on average, over 200 million additional potential customers every year. No other platform offer this.

Gartner expects that in 2015, PC sales will be more than 500 million and tablet sales will be more than 350 million. If I build an app I want it’s market to be most of the PCs and some of Tablets, that is what Windows 8 offers.

5- It’s a fresh opportunity

I love my iPhone and it has hundreds of thousands of available apps. As a user this is great. As a developer, this is scary. Windows 8 is a brand new app market. It will probably hit tens and hundreds of thousands of apps within a couple of years. Now is the chance to get in early. My app already shows in the top 5 results for a search of “calculator” on the Windows Store, and is already, after one day of the release of Windows 8, generating income. I bet that is really hard to do in other App Stores.

I know it’s a bet, and with every bet comes a risk. I am taking this bet.

Intro video for Blu Graphing Calculator for Windows 8

Source: blugraphing

Goodbye, Microsoft

Friday October 26 is my last day at Microsoft. After four years at Microsoft, I am leaving to focus on my startup, Apexa. 

I had a great time at Microsoft. I met a lot of very smart and hardworking people, all of whom contributed to me growing personally and technically. I was also lucky enough to work on the most important release in Microsoft’s recent history: Windows 8. I worked three years in the Windows group and just under a year at Bing, where I shipped the Bing Search app for Windows 8.

Thank you, Microsoft.