Have you ever found .NET Application in Macintosh?

This article was written based on my rough idea related to my observation as a software engineer. No serious studies has been made. Therefore, some of the facts might not be accurate.

I'm just coming back from kick-off project meeting in ***. We spent almost 1.5 hours discussing on the project. As usual, I just listened to the conversation cause most topics doesn't seem relevant for any interruption especially from technical person like us (me and my supervisor of course). However, it was after the meeting (during makan time) that suddenly give me some interests. Somebody was talking about how cheaper it is to go for Apple Mac rather than Microsoft. There were other arguments there, but those were not involve my interest so much.

Macintosh VS Windows

Most people know both Apple and Microsoft was, is and will be rival forever unless, one of them switch their core business into other field as what has happened to rolls-royce (they are in Jet industry instead of automative if you don't aware). As long as they are building and selling software and particularly Operating System, these two giants will never be good friend. The reason for war between these two is actually more compared to their war with others, Linux distro for example, since their target user was not so much different. However, here in Malaysia, the money might be the reason no 1 why Apple doesn't seems to be better choice for Malaysians. However, once there are arguments saying that, it is a lot more cheaper going for Apple Macintosh rather than Microsoft Windows when you sum up the price with the hardware cost, then I'm now thinking that the future might be different for Microsoft. Of course the effect is not an independence effect where only effecting Microsoft profit and loss but it is also effect any other parties who are depending so much on the Microsoft technology such as product distributor, technology supplier including the software company (software engineer of course).

Going for Platform-Independence?

Yesterday, this question is sometimes sounds more commercial rather than technical. However, today, it looks like both. Here comes the reason why the sofware company has to be dynamic enough to face the challenge. They must get ready to invest on time and money any time from now. I'm not saying this is an urgent process. But, what I really mean, a local software company cannot be so rigid on providing the solution. Yes, most markets in Malaysia are still using Microsoft technology and will use it few years down the road. How about the world market, have we ever think about it? is it impossible to the local market to be shrinking so much until we can't get any single project in a year. Or, are we waiting for the worst case to happen only we gonna crash our head thinking about the market in China or United Kingdom while never have information on what platform the majority are using in United States or Saudi Arabia?

This is the time for us to get ready. This might sound good for the company that already applied Platform-independence technology in their development. It's good, really good. But, did you really take this oppoturnity to really explore bigger market? If the answer is yes, why not take this oppoturnity to really go in front and leave all the close-minded local software company far behind. Stop depending so much on the local market.

Facing Challenge

The future for software companies is always a challenge. Greater challenge would be faced by them 5 years from now compared to now. This might required them to have 'foretune teller' in the company that can predict what the challenge will. I, a poor little software engineer, really believe that the next challenge will be the demand on platform-independence technology as the monopoly will be wiped out in this world in a day that is becoming closer by now. The reasons for this to happen is now clearer than ever!


Nasrul Muhaimin b Mohd Zain
November 20, 2008