Microsoft Prefers Flash To Silverlight

An anonymous reader writes "Microsoft still has not adopted Silverlight, and uses Flash all over its websites. 'Despite all the controversy over Microsoft using Silverlight to take over the rich internet market from Adobe Flash, the software giant seems to be not even trying. In fact, even most Microsoft web sites are using Flash instead of Silverlight.'"

Comments

re-development cost

[shird]

It's a bit of a no-brainer - MS still has to pay for development somehow. They have existing flash code and developers, why would they re-write and re-train?

Give it some time before making these stupid accusations. Just because they themselves have existing code and developers doesn't mean they are suggesting new development elsewhere shouldn't use the technology and be "ahead of the curve". I'm not saying silverlight is better - just that MS's lack of use of it doesn't suggest anything at this point in time.

Meh

[Adambomb]

Seems more like they're taking their time on this one. More than likely, they'll wait long enough to include it as a default update push and once its ubiquitous on their platform THEN go ahead with changing across their sites. Of course, they'd have to be careful to avoid another anti-trust row.

The last thing they want is people going "wtf, microsofts site is broken!" because they don't realize its silverlight.

Re:Silverlight is insignificant

[innerweb]

I guess you never heard of Netscape?>

MS will simply work on the technology until they are ready to push it out as part of IE. Then, one update, it goes live to all of the IE users they can push it to. They already have critical mass, they only have to flip that switch. You have to remember MS does not move on a dime. They are slower and more methodical in their market take overs. They have time and money on their side. And they normally get what they want.

They will probably have all (or most) of their websites with a silverlight version running before they flip that switch. Then, they will push it out and the new experience will start. But, they will want that experience to be noticeably *better* before they do it.

InnerWeb

Perfect Slashdot Article

[Speare]

"Microsoft still has not adopted Silverlight, and uses Flash all over it's websites. "Despite all the controversy over Microsoft using Silverlight to take over the rich internet market from Adobe Flash, the software giant seems to be not even trying. In fact, even most Microsoft web sites are using Flash instead of Silverlight."

A perfect blurb for Slashdot. Bashes Microsoft. Claims competition is a "controversy." Mixes up pronouns. Makes up impressive sounding terminology like "the rich internet market." Shocked that different parts of a megacorporation uses different toolsets. Has no clue or firmly ignores that management of Microsoft departments are as segmented as possible for profit reasons, antitrust reasons and at the demand of the marketplace. Even gets the Microsoft-haters like me to go WTF?! and post a reply, driving up page hits.

Re:Silverlight is insignificant

[Anonymous Coward]

Exactly. I just vetted the code from Adobe for Flash the other day. Oh, wait...

This story is idiotic.

[TiggertheMad]

I am going to come right out and say, whoever posted this story was an idiot. (notice they posted it anon..)

Microsoft is a huge company with dozens of divisions, and thousands of teams. Development cycles for a company like this can last years. Don't expect them to adopt some new technology like silverlight on every single public site they posess in a heartbeat.

Moreover, just suggesting that they would re-write an existing portal (that may not even really need SL technology) simply because a new technology came out makes no sense. Programmer time is expensive, so what business justification do you have spending money to rebuild a portal that is functioning just fine in the first place?

MS does stupid shit that they deserver to be bashed for, such as the whole Open XML fiasco. Posting stories like this just destroys the sites credibility, and makes look like you engage in mindless MS bashing, rather than really looking at issues that are critical to tech savy people.

Re:This story is idiotic.

[herve_masson]

Don't expect them to adopt some new technology like silverlight on every single public site they posess in a heartbeat

Certainely not. But between your figure and no exposure at all (almost), there is some room, and it looks odd that did not really start some sort of significant promotion for their technology (unless I missed it).

Moreover, just suggesting that they would re-write an existing portal (that may not even really need SL technology) simply because a new technology came out makes no sense

They did that "non-sense" (in a technical point of view) in the past. Just look at the hotmail migration (attempt) on windows server for example. If you want your technology to get exposure, you need to show it in action on realife applications. Microsoft has the horsepower to do that sort of things very quickly and deeply, to the contrary of many others.

It looks strange to me because I've little doubt that the client-rich application's future is closer to FLEX/SL than the present web "standards".

Re:This story is idiotic.

[lilfields]

Why is that if Adobe has a monopoly on a web item that in the end will be monstrously profitable that it's perfectly ok? If Microsoft wants to move in and give them competition it's a mortal sin. Slashdot really is starting to lose it's credibility lately, it seems like every article in the past 2 weeks has been completely and utterly anti-Microsoft. I know people here have a bias against the company, but it's gotten especially bad lately, almost every comment has been likewise...I guess you have to appeal to your audience even if it loses you credibility...it's the Fox News mantra.

It's the sloppiness + the abusiveness.

[Futurepower(R)]

The problem is not that Microsoft is trying to introduce a new technology. The problem is that Microsoft is extremely adversarial toward customers, sometimes, in my opinion. For example, Microsoft will soon begin FORCING people to install Silverlight if they want to download files from microsoft.com/downloads/.

At least the first 2 versions of Microsoft products usually have very severe bugs. For example, Windows XP and Windows XP SP1, and Windows Vista and Windows Vista SP1 were or are full of grief for administrators.

Customers don't want to be beta testers for Microsoft, any longer.

After Microsoft has forced a significant number of its less knowledgeable users to install Silverlight, Microsoft salesmen will begin talking about "significant market share", if the past is any guide.

"I think Flash has just gone too far down the wrong route, as application development in it seems like a hack." My experience with Macromedia is that it was always a sloppy company. Unforunately, Adobe management seems to be malfunctioning recently.

Re:Silverlight is insignificant

[i.of.the.storm]

>

That's why Microsoft is introducing Silverlight. Flash is threatening to become an OS-independent application platform which could make Windows irrelevant.

I have a feeling people said the same thing about Java, and it hasn't exactly made Windows irrelevant. What makes you think Flash will be more successful than Java?