> As an alternative to Flex and now opensource: > http://www.laszlosystems.com/products/ > > Before Tim gets too deep into Flex ;-).
I suspect the debate will go on for a long long time... so I won't forward more from the flex-lists, but suffice it to say the Laszlo open source announcement has been heard. ;-) Macromedia announced today a free license for Flex/FlexBuilder for non-commercial/non-institutional usage. http://www.macromedia.com/macromedia/proom/pr/2004/flex_ncni_license.html Cheers, Timo P.S. The views below aren't mine...but they seem reasonable, especially the blog entry. > -----Original Message----- > From: Steven Webster [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Wednesday, October 06, 2004 6:55 AM > To: flex-general > Subject: RE: [flex-general] Why Flex over Laszlo? > > Patrick, > > I've literally just blogged something over at > www.richinternetapps.com, > since I've been getting asked the same question by developers all day. > > Hope that's a starting point for discussion for you, > > Steven > > -- > Steven Webster > Technical Director > iteration::two > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Patrick Stapleton [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: 06 October 2004 14:30 > > To: flex-general > > Subject: [flex-general] Why Flex over Laszlo? > > > > I'm wondering what answers Macromedia has to questions around > > this kind of thinking? > > > > I'm not sure of the licensing model for Flex, however I do > > know that the company I am working for see open source > > technologies more favourably over proprietary ones. Also I > > know they don't mind making the job of the developers harder > > if the final cost is significantly lower. > > > > Do you have some spin on this subject as of yet as this > > Laszlo stuff is weakening my abilty to promote Flex as a > > perferred architecture considerably. > > ______________________________________________________________ > > __ > -----Original Message----- > From: Stacy Young [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Wednesday, October 06, 2004 11:21 AM > To: flex-general > Subject: RE: [flex-general] Why Flex over Laszlo? > > > I'm happy about the announcement with regards to propagation of RIA in > general...but I worked with Laszlo before Flex, they need to revisit a > few design decisions. > > More options, the better. > > -Stace > > -----Original Message----- > From: David Onglatco [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Wednesday, October 06, 2004 1:43 PM > To: flex-general > Subject: Re:[flex-general] Why Flex over Laszlo? > > My two-bits. > > The word FREE is so powerful and enticing. For me, choosing > between free > open-source software and commercial proprietary software has always > boiled to the following factors: > > 1) Can you afford Flex? If not, think no further, go with Laszlo. > > 2) How time-critical is your project? If it is not time-critical, go > with the open-source. But if it is, going with a product governed by > capitalistic motives rather than altruistic (for the lack of a better > word) would be more practical. In the face of a complex issue that > absolutely needs to be resolved, relying on a kind soul in > the forums to > provide me a free and thorough response that entirely resolves the > problem is, from my experience, an unrealistic expectation. Not > impossible, but improbable. But I know that with Flex, albeit > not free, > I can pay for support that will legally bound Macromedia to help me > resolve any critical issue that might crop up. > > 3) How mature is this open-source technology? While I would heartily > endorse Tomcat, it wasn't always so. I remember the > yesteryears when it > was nowhere as stable as it is today. It may take a while before Lazlo > earns my confidence. There's not even a book out there yet about their > technology, and to stake my profession and reputation on a fledgling > technology who makes no support guarantee is, for me, imprudent at > least, folly at best. > > 4) How widely supported is this open-source technology? Numbers do > count, as the more developers use a particular technology, the better > assurance that it will improve and proliferate. The > presence/absence of > book(s) on the subject is, for me, a good indicator. (Authors > usually do > not invest their effort and time unless they feel there is a > vast enough > audience to make a profit from book sales.) > > I will probably play around with Lazlo one of these days, and I will > definitely keep an eye on it from hereon, but as of this > point in time, > I'm still moving forward with Flex on our projects because > when all has > been said and done, I trust Macromedia more not only in terms of the > company itself, but also of its technological maturity. > > Again, this is my two-bits, so please don't shoot me down :) > ______________________________________________________________ > __________ > ____________ > View/post via a browser: > http://lyris.macromedia.com/read/?forum=flex-general > Manage your account: http://lyris.macromedia.com/read/my_account/ > View this discussion via a newsreader: news://lyris.macromedia.com > > This email transaction, and any documents, files, or previous email > message attached to it, are confidential and proprietary > information of > Macromedia, Inc. > > > > <table width=800 cellpadding=4 cellspacing=10 border=0><tr > bgcolor=BDBDBD><td valign=top width=400><font face=verdana > size=2 color=FFFFFF><b>AVIS IMPORTANT</b></font></td><td > valign=top width=400><font face=verdana size=2 > color=FFFFFF><b>WARNING</b></font></td></tr><tr><td > valign=top width=400><p align=justify><font face=verdana > size=1 color=808080> Les informations contenues dans le > present document et ses pieces jointes sont strictement > confidentielles et reservees a l'usage de la (des) > personne(s) a qui il est adresse. 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