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

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:Meh

[Anonymous Coward]

The last thing they want is people going "wtf, microsofts site is broken!"

Yes, because Microsoft products are so insanely reliable, so robust, so rock-solid, that Microsoft could in no way afford to create the perception that perhaps something of theirs is broken. It would ruin them, I tell you!

Re:Silverlight is insignificant

[modmans2ndcoming]

uhhh.... news flash, there is an OS X and Linux runtime.

Maybe they're waiting for SP2

[FurtiveGlancer]

I know I would...

JavaFX.com is Java-free

[ewg]

JavaFX.com uses JavaScript and QuickTime to promote the benefits of JavaFX. No JVM needed.

(Of course, you still have to visit the Wikipedia article for an introduction in context.)

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

[Gavagai80]

Newsflash: getting silverlight (moonlight) to actually install on Linux takes a team of experts, and even if you manage that it'll fail on most pages. It's no more accurate to say that there's a silverlight for linux than it is to say that all windows programs run in linux thanks to wine.

Re:Silverlight is insignificant

[ozmanjusri]

Perhaps someone can illustrate to me why I'm wrong and it really is good for application development and I'm just missing something every time I come to look it it (perhaps because the books and documentation are almost all aimed at animators+designers, not developers?).

Yes, you're wrong.

It's a shame you spent so much effort writing all that and none on Googling, because there is plenty of information out there.

Adobe's own application platform for Flash is Flex. OpenLaszlo is an open-source XML based programming language for developing apps in SWF. Flash itself also has a substantial component collection for app development, and finally, there are dozens of third-party ActionScript IDEs and compliers available.

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

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.

[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.