Hometown conference for .NET related technologies? How can you pass that up, even if it is $75 out of my own pocket; I didn’t even know companies out here were actively using .NET – they’ve usually heard about it, but haven’t moved to it yet (even though it was introduced in 2002.) The sessions don’t start for another half hour so I thought I’d share the experience – and more importantly what’s in the goodie bag – oh, and if you saw a slacker-looking guy in Donut’s Red Army T-Shirt wandering around the conference or typing on a ThinkPad you saw a rare public appearance of the Rant’r.

The coffee was decent, and that’s always a bright spot, but I’m enjoying an iced mocha now that is better. Anyway, beyond all the regular papers and ads that come in most GeekBags, the following CD/DVD’s were included this time around:

• Microsoft DevDays 2004 CD: Videos and Sample code
• SQL Server 2000 (Enterprise, of course) Evaluation Kit
• ASP.net Resourse Kit [neat, as it saves a download]
• VB.net Resourse Kit [also neat, even if I did download it already]
• TechNet’s Security Guidance Feb-2004
• AMD Developer Resource Kit [threw me for a loop – guess MS and AMD are tighter than ever]
• Microsoft Mobile Development Resource Kit [looks like all the eM tools and a lot of docs]
• VS.NET Profession Evaluation Kit + resources
• InfoPath 2003 Developer Resource Kit [hmm!]
• Whidbey Technology Preview build 30703.27 [same build as the PDC – it has its own DevDays CD label]

Nothing unexpected software-wise nor on paper; typical class and control ads that I’ve grown to expect to be there. I’m notoriously bad at sitting in conferences all day – especially when the only WiFi available is WEP protected! – so I was curious to see how long I would last this time out. I will say that I already checked the agenda for the afternoon and would have been impressed to make it past lunch.

Oop, Keynote is starting… …and was pretty good. Was like watching a .NET Rocks show live. Next session (I’m taking the “Smart Client” track) is with Rory which should be interesting since he was still in Oregon two days ago, moved to CT yesterday, and DevDays started at 8am this morning.

Rory had a nice overview of the Smart Client and how to use design patterns to build great applications. Having seen this, I find that SharpMT does come close to being a Smart Client; the only key thing missing is automated syncing, but that’s mostly because I don’t want it, since I consider it to be an offline Blog writer. But because it does offer a better experience while online, and can function while offline, so it does come close. Otherwise, Rory did fine in spite of being three hours ahead from what his body thought it was and the demo gods were benevolent in only causing one minor bug.

[I also felt that I should explain the response (or lack there of) from the CT-based crowd. Even for rock concerts, the CT crowd tends to be laid back and rather pretentious. Take a Wolfpack (or Whalers) game: Most fans are “Yay. Go team. We are watching hockey. Yay.” Where as a Rangers game at the Garden or Bruins in the Fleet Center fans then to greet everything with “SHOOT! SCORE! CHECK HIM! KILL! KILL! KILL!” – it just the nature of CT crowds, and since this was Rory’s first gig here, I felt he should know about it… hell Carl whipped out a guitar to do a live song that was funny and it took all of the crowd’s energy just to applaud him when he was done! It used to freak me out when I had public gigs, but I’m used to it now.]

My only gripe with DevDays this time around is mostly about the content, and even that might be skewed from my point of view. Whidbey was covered in the PDC and it’s too close to that (and too far from VS.NET 2004/5’s official release) to get any new information on it. Longhorn is talked about all the time but we know that’s a couple of years away, and again, the PDC covered that to some degree. Whitehorse is the “major” product to be introduced, but that’s got no impact on my profession life right now, and that even that is planned to be included Whidbey. It’s good for me, to sit in front of some slides seeing as I start teach in about six weeks, but otherwise, I’ve already used most of the features in VS.NET 2003 that will be covered by the majority of the talks. I did relize the benefit of using #region throughout my larger class files, as they help to make things more readable; that too will be useful for my class.

The closing keynote is almost exclusively centered around Whidbey, but I knew there was no way I’d make that session – I’ve got rehearsal tonight! – and I actually left just after Rory’s talk… got a screwy HD to ship back via an RMA, got rebate forms to fill out for a new WiFi/Switch and USB drive, and I also have to follow up with a few interviewing prospectives…

How did I manage to do all of this when I was working ten hours a day?