When Microsoft chief software architect Ray Ozzie unveiled Silverlight at MIX07, he vowed that it would be a cross-platform technology. It appears as if the software giant is making good on that pledge: SD Times has learned that some of Microsoft's top developers have provided technical guidance for a Linux implementation of Silverlight.
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Member since:2005-07-08
Ultimately I hope that Microsoft realizes that they should just start hacking on Mono/Moonlight. It's a development framework that faces serious competition from Java/JavaFX and Flash. They need to make it ubiquitous, and they need to be make it cross-platform.
What does Microsoft get out of having their own proprietary implementation? They don't sell it. They don't want to keep it to themselves. They just want developers to use it. Sounds like a job for free software. <queue theme music>
Member since:2005-07-06
What does Microsoft get out of having their own proprietary implementation? They don't sell it. They don't want to keep it to themselves. They just want developers to use it. Sounds like a job for free software. <queue theme music>
Sounds like a good idea - if I were CEO of Microsoft (everyones favourite parlour game), I would completely open and standardise the .NET framework, allow anyone to implement it - create tools that are 100% .NET to allow it to run on other platforms.
We need more choice; right now Flash is the only thing- everyone gets screwed, and no one benefits from that monopoly.
Sun also need to get their act together; create easy to use development tools for JavaFX so that the cafe late drinking set who are fluent in Photoshop can sit down and put together a rich internet experience with minimum effort and learning.
Member since:2006-02-05
MS is always big on mindshare. The best silverlight tools will always be on windows, they sell the tools and sell the platform.
Just out of curiosity, have you actually seen silverlight?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsNRFKsGLbA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEUrQEj6Sd4&mode=related&search=
It completely destroys flash when it comes to rich application design in a web browser. JavaFX (and apollo from adobe, which you didnt mention) Are a similar idea, but for the desktop. Whether those take off or not is anyones guess, as it would be a new way off looking at desktop application development. But Silverlight is the first truely elegant solution I have seen to the web application problem. I would still use flash for animations, but that is about it. From rich application functionality to content delivery, Silverlight is on a whole other playing field.
Not to start a flame war or anything, but we were just arguing about this in another thread like, yesterday, so I wanted to point out that it is the MS/Novell deal that makes the port to linux a reality. Patent indemnification aside, the deal is what will allow linux users access to something which is quite likely to really take off in the next few years.
Member since:2005-07-06
"They don't sell it."
Products developed on top of the .Net framework sell Windows licenses though. So in the end it actually does lead to direct sales, which is why they'll never officially support .Net on any other platform...in essence it would be a public admission undermining their own platform which doesn't make any sense from a business standpoint.
Member since:2006-09-19
What are you talking about?!
Even the ones using Windows mostly hate Microsoft more than the ones not using Windows.
Adobe more or less sucks but at least they provided flash for Linux.
Member since:2005-08-09
Member since:
2005-07-06
True - given the state of flash on the platforms, and the lack of support for certain platforms (FreeBSD, Linux on PPC, SPARC etc) - I want to see Adobe step up to the plate and stop treating their customers like trash.
I mean, Microsoft won't provide a client, but if they at least provide assistance, its a damn site more than the lack-there-of of assistance that Adobe provides to gnuash.
Ultimately I hope Microsoft realises that those who don't run Windows don't necessarily hate Microsoft - and as such, are happy to purchase services from Microsoft.