Issue about opening Multiple instances of any DESKTOP Application.

I was just thinking about this. Thought I would like to have your comments.

What is the issue about opening Multiple instances of any DESKTOP Application? Please keep in mind that I am talking about a single desktop on single machine. I am not going in intricacies of having multiple desktops on multiple / single machines.

 

We are in the middle of making a desktop app and it's is allowing to open multiple instances of itself. How to Reproduce the behaviour.
 

1. Double click the shortcut which open the application.
   
2. Once the application is loaded in Memory or is visible, Double click the same short cut again.
   

If it allows (Multiple Instances) then another instance will be opened. If it does not allow (Multiple Instances), then same instance will be displayed as in Step 1, or will be focused.

Now, Winamp, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer opens multiple instances.

Unlikely, MSN messenger, Yahoo Messenger and Google Talk DOES NOT allow to open Multiple Instances of themselves. They all do have log in Dialog. Probably that's why.

Mozilla, Winamp, IE don't have Log in Dialog. However, Winamp does offer the choice to restrict to open only one instance.

On the other hand, Microsoft Word (older one) used to open Multiple instances, but if we are talking about this, we have to include MDI (Multiple Document Interfaces) Like Visual Studio, Macro media Dream weaver, Adobe. They do NOT allow to open other instances, however one can open multiple documents in one instance, hence Multiple document interface.

My question, if the app is having a log in dialog, should it allow to open Multiple instances? Probably that means that if we do allow it, then that is giving the user opportunity to log in from same Computer using same / different User Accounts? Probably that's why Multi MSN came about.

What I think, if any application does have Log in Dialog, then it should NOT allow to open multiple instances, by any chance.

Your comments please.

By the way, Happy New Year to all of you. Any Resolutions?

Friday, December 16, 2005

MSN Live is up and running.

The all new outlook email of MSN on web for beta testers is up. All you have to do is sign up with the your MSN email address. I am afraid that this beta testing is taking place in some of the countries which are listed
Anyway, MSN live ideas is here. Hurry go for the quick sign up.

http://ideas.live.com/
http://ideas.live.com/mainpage.aspx
http://ideas.live.com/programpage.aspx?versionId=5d21c51a-b161-4314-9b0e-4911fb2b2e6d

Gmailing Yahoo and MSN

With the Gmail's AJAX functionality, one wonders when will YAHOO and MSN be catching up. Now they have.
MSN Kahuna Preview.
http://www.winsupersite.com/reviews/msn_kahuna_preview.asp

Slide Show for MSN Kahuna
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-9696_7-6352460-1.html?tag=txt

Screen Shots
http://www.winsupersite.com/images/reviews/mail_beta_preview_02.jpg
http://www.winsupersite.com/images/reviews/mail_beta_preview_03.jpg
http://www.winsupersite.com/images/reviews/mail_beta_preview_04.jpg
http://www.winsupersite.com/images/reviews/mail_beta_preview_06.jpg
http://www.winsupersite.com/images/reviews/mail_beta_preview_05.jpg
http://www.winsupersite.com/images/reviews/mail_beta_preview_07.jpg

Yahoo Mail Beta Review
http://www.ajaxian.com/archives/2005/09/yahoo_mail_beta_1.html
http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/Yahoo_Mail_Beta/4505-9236_16-31518025-2.html?tag=sub
Screen Shots

http://patcavit.com/2005/09/14/y-mail-beta-impressions/
http://tivac.com/images/ymail/contacts.png
http://tivac.com/images/ymail/drag.png
http://tivac.com/images/ymail/nodrag.png

Yahoo Mail Beta and MSN Kahuna Beta are nothing but Yahoo mail and Hotmail mail meeting OUTLOOK interface. The difference...Yahoo mail is working on Cross Browsers, while Microsoft's Hotmail till now, IE only.

Oh yeah, those who are having email address as YahooID@yahoo.com they can sign up for the beta testing of Yahoo Mail Beta. A call for QA guys. The Beta testing for Yahoo is granted ramdomly to it's Email users. MSN, they are not asking for Beta Testers YET.

To sign up,
    http://surveylink.yahoo.com/wix/p0473306.aspx
Best regards,  

Pst: Did anyone notice, I have used GMAIL as verb in subject?

Who Am I?

An analogy
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things
were so hard for her.She did not know how she was to make it and wanted to
give up.She was tired fighting and struggling.It seemed as one problem wa
solved and a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen.She filled three pots of water.In the
first,she placed carrots,in the second she place eggs and the last she
placed ground coffee beans.She let them sit and boil without saying a word.
In about twenty minutesshe turned off the burners.She fished the carrots out
and palced them in a bowl.She pulled the egss out and placed them in a
bowl.The she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a mug.
Turning to her daughter,she asked," Tell me,what do yo see?"
"Carrots,eggs and coffee,"the daughter replied.
She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots.She did and noted
that they were soft.She then asked her to take the eggs and break it.After
pulling the shell,she obseverd the hard boiled egg.Finally,she asked her to
sip the coffee.The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.
the daughter then asked," What's the point,mother?"
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same
adversity-boiling water-but each reacted differently.The carrots went in
strong,hard and unrelenting.However after being subjected to the boiling
water,it softened and became weak.the egg had been fragile.Its thin outer
shell had protected its liquid interior.But,after sitting through the
boiling water,its inside became hardened.The ground coffee beans were unique
however.After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water.
"Which are you?" she asked her daughter."When adversity knocks on your
door,how do you respond? Are you a carrot,an egg or a coffee bean?
THINK OF THIS; WHICH AM I?
Am I a carrot that seems strong,but with pain and adversity,do I wilt and
become soft and lose my strenght?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart,but chages with the heat?
Did I have a fluid spirit,but after a death,a breakup,a financial hardship
or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look
the same,but on the inside am I bitter and tough with the stiff spirit and a
hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? the bean actually changes the hot water,the
very circumstances that brings the pain.When the water gets hot,it releases
its fragrance and flavor,If you are like the bean,when things are at their
worst,you get hte better and change the situation around you.
when the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate
to another level? How do you handle adversity.
ARE YOU A CARROT,AN EGG ,OR A COFFEE BEAN?