Silverlight vs Flash

Dueling arguments at ZDNet. The pro-SL position: Fewer know ActionScript than .NET and the potential DLR languages; Silverlight has Microsoft behind it. Thepro-Flash position: SL is currently non-Linux; no tooling available if you‘re not on an MS-branded OS; currently has 0% viewability. I‘m not sure either argument is strong. The pro-SL author seems to not realize that ECMAScript is used daily by millions, and that the difference in object models between JavaScript and ActionScript is likely less than the object-model learning gap required for Ruby/SL... there‘s also a greater range of tooling available for Flash. The pro-Flash author has true points, but those may not be as significant as consumer inertia, client inertia, and the continual pressure from other MS business units to support the organization‘s overall goals. Microsoft has hired many of the top Flash developers to create showcase pieces in their environment... Microsoft and Real have moved their video clients into a more Flash-like space... Microsoft has announced that their main hope for returning growth to the company is advertising, and personalization databases. We‘ll see how these trends play out. I think Flash is now in an even stronger position than before, myself.
Posted by JohnDowdell at June 7, 2007 07:08 AM
Comments
Posted by:John Dowdell at June 7, 2007 07:26 AM
I have been developing Flash applications for over 10 years and have welcomed every update MACR/ADBE has released. However, over tha last few years I really feel that MACR/ADBE has focused on the wrong things. Working for a large media company, we need better rendering performance, better video quality, some form of media security (DRM), and better developer tools and standards so when we hire on "Flash Developers" we don‘t have to try to find out if they are experts in AS1/AS2/AS3 or design/animation. My feeling is that AS is still a scripting language and not considered a true programming language. Sure, this is changing with AS3, but finding C# programmers and testing their skillset is easier than Flash and AS.
MSFT, is drawning a line between Designers (Expression Blend) and Programmers (Visual Studio) with both IDE‘s blurring the lines a little. However, Expression Blend can attract designers both traditional and motion graphics designers (potentially, even After Effects folks). The workflow makes sense and staying true to timeline based animations and drawing tools (which a designer can relate to). The ADBE Flex model typically relies on the programmer to make/wire up the tweens and animations, thus makes the developer act as a designer -- I think MSFT has it right.
MSFT, with Silverlight, basically has seen where Flash is weak and is focusing on "killing" it with these features. Now, I believe in the future we will still have Flash (it‘s powerful in may other ways), however, if ADBE doesn‘t make up for lost time, Flash may not be the only serious rich media player in town.
Danny