Greg's //build bets - My total and complete WAG's about next week's //build event

These are my complete and total WAG's (Wild Ass Guesses) about what we might get, see and hear about at next week's //build (which I will be attending... ;)

First off the most important thing, //build swag:

XBox One (or certificate for one)

WAG Factor: 99%

Reasons:

• I'm thinking that since I think this is the first time I've seen the Xbox mentioned on a //build or PDC announcement
• That this is a new platform
• That it's not backward compatible
• The need for "apps" (not games, as the story there seems kind of anti-indie) and
• It's x86 based
• Parts of it are Win8 based

That they need to jump start Xbox Dev and since E3 is over, this is the place for that?

Windows 8 Phone (Maybe with choice of 920 or 928)

WAG Factor: 98%

Reasons:

• They gave out a 920 last year, so giving another out would be kind of weird
• No real excitement about Windows Phone 8 at this point

7" Surface RT (with Windows 8.1 on it)

WAG Factor: 90%

Reasons:

• Get Windows 8.1 into the hands of dev's quickly and easily
• Give them a new, fresh form factor to start dev's on
• Because it would be an exciting announce at the keynote
• Because I'd love to get one... ;)

11" Surface RT Pro (With Windows 8.1 and VS 2013)

WAG Factor: 50%

Reason:

• Get Windows 8.1 into the hands of Devs without them having to worry about installing it
• Get VS2013 into Dev hands asap
• Give's dev's everything they need to start building Win 8.1 apps on conference day 1
• At the discount price offered at TechEd, seems like it would be viable for a //build giveaway
• Would be a very exciting keynote announcement

In the end, I'm betting on this one...

Announcements

Here's a laundry list of things I'm think we might hear about (or at least I would like to hear about)

• Windows 8.1 (duh)
• VS 2013 (duh)
• Azure (duh)
• Windows Phone 8.1
• .Net 5.0 / C# 6 / VB 13
• If not .Net 5, then a group or set of aux libraries. Kind of like .Net 3.0 was. Where the base is 4.5, but not assemblies are made available. (But I REALLY hope there's word about the future of the .Net Framework)
• Something about WPF lives (Don't I wish)

The thing to remember is that this is a conference by the Windows business unit, not DevDiv. So I'm thinking to not expect TOO much about "dev" stuff. Lot's a Windows, platform, etc, etc...

 

In the end, I actually think this is going to be a very exciting and announcement filled //build. I think we're going to hear and see some cool stuff... (or so I hope anyway)

Enough for now... Sessions will be announced on Day 0. I'll try to do a "Greg's //build Picks" post then...