MIX University

Visualize.Contextualize.Experience

The next-generation Web experience is here. On this site, we’ll help you to visualize the possibilities that new technologies bring to your business, understand how incorporating these technologies will improve your customers’ experience, and to immerse yourself in the enabling technologies. Want to see how the use of ASP.NET AJAX can take a site from a functional one to a destination? Interested in walking through the construction of a Gadget? It’s all available for you on this page. Take what you need, or dive in to it all. Oh, and be sure to visit again – more is always on the way.

Case Studies
Today, people are changing the way we think about—and develop for—the Web. Using Microsoft Silverlight, the .NET Framework, and the Microsoft Expression Studio family of design tools, developers, designers, managers, and company owners are captivating the world with completely new experiences online. Click here to watch their videos and read their stories.

DinnerNow is a fictitious marketplace where customers can order food from local restaurants for delivery to their home or office. This sample is designed to demonstrate how you can develop a connected application using several new Microsoft technologies such as ASP.NET AJAX and Windows Presentation Foundation and Virtual Earth.

Silverlight

Videos
Demos
QuickStarts
Fire Starter - 1 day of video training

Silverlight is the Microsoft solution for delivering rich, cross-platform, interactive experiences including animation, graphics, audio, and video for the Web and beyond. Utilizing a subset of XAML (eXtensible Application Markup Language)-based Windows Presentation Foundation technology, Silverlight enables the creation of content and applications that run within multiple browsers and operating systems (Windows and Macintosh) using Web standards for programmability. Consistent with Web architecture, the XAML markup is programmable using JavaScript or .NET and works well with ASP.NET AJAX. Silverlight experiences require a lightweight browser plug-in made freely available by Microsoft.

Windows Presentation Foundation

Video
Powerpoint
Bootcamp 08 - 3 days of video training
Bootcamp 07 - 3 days of video training

Windows Presentation Foundation is the next-generation unified presentation graphics subsystem for Windows Vista and Windows XP. It consists of a display engine and a managed code framework. Windows Presentation Foundation unifies how Windows creates, displays and manipulates documents, media and user interface, enabling developers and designers to create visually stunning, differentiated user experiences that improve customer connection. When it ships, scheduled for 2006, Windows Presentation Foundation will become the strategic Microsoft technology for graphics, documents and printing services.

ASP.NET AJAX

Video
Powerpoint
Demo
Demo 2
Demo 3
Demo 4
Hands-On Lab

ASP.NET AJAX is a free framework for quickly creating a new generation of more efficient, more interactive and highly-personalized Web experiences that work across all the most popular browsers. With ASP.NET AJAX, you can: create next-generation interfaces with reusable AJAX components, enhance existing Web pages using powerful AJAX controls with support for all modern browsers, continue using Visual Studio 2005 to take your ASP.NET 2.0 sites to the next level, and access remote services and data directly from the browser without writing a ton of complicated script.

Gadgets

Video
Sidebar Powerpoint
Demo
Demo 2
Demo 3
Hands-On Lab

The Microsoft Windows Live gadget platform includes both Live gadgets (also called Web gadgets) and Sidebar gadgets (also called Client gadgets). The two types of gadgets combine to offer an unprecedented range of options from dynamic, branded consumer gadgets to rich, secure enterprise gadgets. Live Gadgets in the most general sense, are mini web applications that look and work like small web pages. Live gadgets offer a dynamic, portable user-experience that works the same across a number of platforms including Live.com and MSN Spaces. Sidebar Gadgets are mini desktop applications that offer full enterprise capabilities and security. Sidebar gadgets look and work like rich Vista applications. They can access the file system, access operating system APIs, and do nearly everything else that is possible with a true Vista application.

Expression

Training videos
Design Hands-On Lab 1
Design Hands-On Lab 2
Media Hands-On Lab
Web Hands-On Lab

Microsoft Expression takes your creative possibilities to a new level. The professional design tools and innovative technologies in Expression give you the flexibility and freedom to bring your vision to reality—whether you are designing standards-based Web sites, rich user experiences on the desktop, or managing digital assets and content. Expression Studio includes the following products:

Expression Media is a professional asset management tool to visually catalog and organize all your digital assets for effortless retrieval and presentation.
Expression Design is a professional illustration and graphic design tool that lets you build compelling elements for both Web and desktop application user interfaces.
Expression Blend is the professional design tool to create engaging web-connected experiences for Windows.
Expression Web is a professional design tool to create modern, standards-based sites which deliver superior quality on the Web.

Internet Explorer Extensions

Video
Powerpoint
Demo
Hands-On Lab

Internet Explorer, the world’s most widely-used web browser, offers a number of ways to extend and augment the user’s browsing experience. You can use Visual Studio 2005 on Vista to develop addons that take full advantage of the Windows Platform and integrate with client applications. Addons can be as simple as JavaScript menu extensions, or as rich and functional as the toolbars and Browser Helper Objects featured at www.ieaddons.com.

Media Center

Powerpoint
Demo
Demo 2
Demo 3
Hands-On Lab

Windows Vista Ultimate includes Windows Media Center so that you can enjoy your entire digital entertainment library on your PC or on your television. Use your Media Center remote control or your mouse to view your photos in a cinematic slide show, browse your music collection by cover art, easily play DVDs, or watch and record your favorite TV shows. Media Center even makes it easy to download movies and enjoy them whenever you want.

RSS

Video
Powerpoint
Demo
Hands-On Lab

RSS feeds are everywhere, letting users subscribe and access web sites when and where they please. RSS feeds decorated with Simple List Extensions provide better user experience and better indexing for your web site. List-oriented feeds such as Amazon Wish Lists, EBay stores, Yahoo Music, and MSN Spaces use SLEs. Simple List Extensions are fully compatible with RSS 2.0 and Atom, and with other extensions like Media RSS.

Virtual Earth

Powerpoint
Demo
Hands-On Lab

Virtual Earth provides the power behind Live Maps, an online mapping service that enables users to search, discover, explore, plan, and share information about specific locations. By using traditional road maps, labeled aerial photo views, low-angle high-resolution aerial photos, and proximity searching capabilities, Virtual Earth provides unique opportunities for developers to incorporate both location and local search features into their Web applications.

Windows CardSpace

CardSpace Home

Windows CardSpace enables users to provide their digital identities in a familiar, secure and easy way. In the physical world we use business cards, credit cards and membership cards. Online with CardSpace we use a variety of virtual cards to identify ourselves, each retrieving data from an identity provider. Don't struggle with usernames and passwords, just choose an information card!