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Microsoft / Adobe Competition Heating Up

Posted by kdawson on from the ding-dong-front-page-is-dead dept.

MicroAdobe writes "Microsoft has noticed that some of the coolest sites on the Web, YouTube and MySpace included, get much of their flash from Flash and other design programs sold by Adobe. But as Microsoft gets ready to ship its own line of tools for designers and Web developers, the company is finding it must also defend against Adobe on its home turf, the desktop. At the same time, the line between Internet and desktop programs is blurring, and both companies see an opportunity to capture new business." The article focuses on the competition and doesn't even mention that Adobe's CEO called Microsoft a $50 billion monopolist.

3 of 219 comments (clear)

  1. Compatability by digitalunity · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Adobe's CEO brought up what should be the single most important point everyone who is considering a switch to MS products - Microsoft doesn't maintain anything cross-platform.


    They may start out cross-platform, but eventually the mac version will fall behind on patches and then get EOL'd.<br><br>

    For any broadcaster that relies on compatibility and reaching the widest market possible, MS would be a bad choice.

    --
    You can't legislate goodness. Let each to his own destiny, by will of his freely made choices.
  2. BTW by frakir · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Microsoft announced yesterday its "Silverlight", previously named WPF/E:
    http://blogs.msdn.com/tims/archive/2007/04/15/intr oducing-microsoft-silverlight.aspx.
    They call it "cross platform, cross browser plug-in" and it is basically a replacement for flash with wmv lock-in. Oh, and no linux (cross platform means XP+Vista+OSX, I guess)
    One nice feature being HD streaming, I have to give it to them.

    I'll still stay away...

  3. Re: Monopolists by owlnation · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Even so, I don't believe Adobe has been convicted of (or charged with) illegally abusing their monopoly.
    While that's true... Ask an Adobe customer whether they feel they be charged for Adobe abusing their monopoly and you'll get an affirmative answer.

    It's about to get worse with CS3 too, it's split into Vista style packages so now you have to really pay a lot of money to get the programs you need to do business as a professional in the creative industry.

    Probably the only exception to this is Premiere, cos few - if any - professionals use that. Otherwise, there's absolutely no alternative to Adobe products. (Yes, technically GIMP etc exists, but they aren't industry standard so professionals have no chance of using them.)

    80% of my work is done on Adobe products and I really would like to change that.