Hi, First on the AJAX/JavaScript comment: I completely agree. This is something I mentioned in the "Future of the web" discussion panel at Tech Ed in Sydney. I think that in the end JavaScript might be a stronger competitor to Silverlight than Flash. JavaScript is getting significant faster in Chrome, FireFox and Safari (and Microsoft is playing catch-up in IE8). New frameworks like jQuery (now embraced by Microsoft) is making it easier to build rich JavaScript based applications, and the tooling support is also getting more solid.
By using plain AJAX/JavaScript you don't have to depend on any add-in or vendor lock-in. In the future <Canvas> and <Video>, when ever implemented in all browsers, might make AJAX/JavaScript an even more compelling alternative to Flash and Silverlight. That being said I am big Silverlight 2 fan, and definitely think the technology is ready for main-stream development work. I think Silverlight 2 will be an easier alternative for businesses wanting to build Rich Internet Applications. The reason: tools they know (VS2008), same language on client/server, and consistent API/documentation/tooling (compared to the web where you have to know multiple technologies to do it well). I also think that the requirements and expectations within (internal) line of business applications will go up as the users get used to great online user experiences on the "public web". These users will expect something more inside the company, and I think that in the future having great internal software might be a differentiator for companies wanting to recruit information workers. As to the Flex vs Silverlight 2 decision I don't know enough about Flex to really comment on it. However, I think that most of us have seen great examples of Flash-based RIAs, so the technology is more than capable of delivering great applications. One of my current favorites is http://www.sliderocket.com/. So if you and your team knows Flex, and the company sees that as a important technology in the future, by all means use it! That makes perfect business sense. What I'm saying is that Silverlight 2 feels a need for the .NET/Microsoft development crowd who is comfortable in VS2008 and C#, and now need to meet higher expectations to deliver great user experiences online. - Jonas On Mon, Oct 20, 2008 at 9:08 AM, Barry Beattie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > > You want me to give you a run sheet of our entire game plan so you can > run it off to your buddies at Adobe, think again bazza :) think again! :) > > > > Sorry, nice try but no cigar. > > no, Scott, it's not that. > > I actually don't cut much code anymore these days: analysis, design, > recommendations, etc. I'm trying to get a deeper understanding on SL's > place in the world now/soon and I'm not going to recommend spending > resources on cutting edge (if not bleeding edge) if it's not yet worth > it to solve real business problems. I don't work in a design agency, I > don't work with general-public-facing web. > > I mean, because I know Flex, I can see more than one option so I'm > looking at ROI, product differentiation, what works for where and why, > alternatives**, etc. E.g: SL's use of C#, while important for teams, > can be negated in other ways: what Peter DeHaan at Adobe is up, etc. > > As for getting SL infront of eyeballs, I've already given you one > suggestion - but I do admit cross-department logistics make it a long > shot, which is a shame. > > so I *am* pumping you for information, Scott, but not for the reasons > you think. But you did do a good job shedding a bit more light a > couple of emails back, and for that many thanks. > > barry.b out. > > ** I've come across more than one example where a DHTML/Ajax-y app > would work better than what's been served up with Flex. Perhaps both > Flex and SL share a competitor there? > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > OzSilverlight.com - to unsubscribe from this list, send a message back to > the list with 'unsubscribe' as the subject. > Powered by mailenable.com - List managed by www.readify.net > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzSilverlight.com - to unsubscribe from this list, send a message back to the list with 'unsubscribe' as the subject. Powered by mailenable.com - List managed by www.readify.net
