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Microsoft Woos Developers Under the Silverlight

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the go-on-start-wooing dept.

CWmike writes to tell us that with the impending release of their Silverlight 2.0 product, Microsoft is poised to enact the next phase of their plan, wooing developers and designers directly. Microsoft is funding a French open-source project designed to allow programmers to utilize the Eclipse framework to build Silverlight apps. "Microsoft is also releasing for free a set of programming templates called the Silverlight Control Pack under its Microsoft Permissive License, as well as the technical specification for Silverlight's Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML) vocabulary via Microsoft's Open Specification Promise. The latter, said Goldfarb, should make it easier for would-be Silverlight developers."

20 of 300 comments (clear)

  1. An Even Shorter Summary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The important parts of the summary:

    Microsoft ... Developers ... ... developers ... ... developers.

    1. Re:An Even Shorter Summary by Captain+Spam · · Score: 5, Funny

      Ballmer: "Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale Silverlight?"

      --
      Demanding constant attention will only lead to attention.
  2. While I don't like Flash. by LWATCDR · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Flash is multi platfrom and there is GASH as an option.
    I also trust Adobe to be OS neutral a lot more than Microsoft.
    99% of our your users already have Flash so why make them download and install Silverlight.

    --
    See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
    1. Re:While I don't like Flash. by thetoadwarrior · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I agree, Applets aren't that bad but it may take awhile to get people to forget all those horrible java applets people used to put on their ugly sites. One of my favourites at the moment is Wordle. http://wordle.net/

    2. Re:While I don't like Flash. by TheRealMindChild · · Score: 5, Insightful

      You do realize that is the same twisted logic that caused a lot of the internet to be IE only?

      99% of our your users already have IE so why make this work with Mozilla

      Same trap. Just a different beast.

      --

      "When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back!" -- Cave Johnson
    3. Re:While I don't like Flash. by gaspyy · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Actually you can build flash apps without Flash.

      Flex SDK is free and allows you to compile Flash, Flex and AIR apps.

      FDT is not free but it's very very good (uses Flex). If you think it's not worth the money, you can write your own Eclipse plugin.

      There are a number of other options, like FlasDevelop or MTASC, which although not Eclipse-based, are free alternatives.

  3. Why not Flash or AJAX? by jellomizer · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Keeping in mind I am speaking in a group where there are huge amount of open source zealots. However Flash has the advantage that it runs in Linux, Mac, Windows (And more if you are designing for older versions) while Silverlight is only Windows and Mac.
    Next Flash is usually installed by default on Mac and Windows systems. (And a simple plug in for Linux... But if you guys are so smart you can probably add a plugin yourself anyways or the distribution has it already installed) Vs. Having to install it on Windows and Macs too.

    If you don't need the extra graphics and AJAX method works good too. Plus you don't need to deal with the Closed Source Flash as well.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  4. So, does this mean by afidel · · Score: 5, Insightful

    We can expect an open source Silverlight viewer? If so and MS has agreed not to enforce any patents on the technology then I see little reason for it to not overtake flash. Flash sucks, a lot. The sooner we have another cross platform app for doing online animations and movies the better.

    --
    There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
    1. Re:So, does this mean by LWATCDR · · Score: 5, Informative

      It is called Moonlight. http://www.mono-project.com/Moonlight

      But I am not all that comfortable with it. I think that Microsoft has done enough that I just can not trust them with any "standards" any longer.

      --
      See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
    2. Re:So, does this mean by Blakey+Rat · · Score: 4, Informative

      Flash runs just fine on PPC Macs. I have a friend with a Windows Mobile phone that has no problem viewing Hulu Flash movies. (No clue what CPUs in it, but I doubt it's x86.) I dunno where you got the idea that it's x86-only.

      --
      Comment of the year
  5. Sluts by orsocio · · Score: 5, Funny

    "...under its Microsoft Permissive License..."

    love the way Microsoft kinda imply that open source is so slutty...

  6. Ugh, I tire of this... by TheNecromancer · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I am so sick of reading these tech articles with an anti-MS bias to them.

    As a developer, isn't the point to write better/more robust code?? Silverlight is a tool that Microsoft is designing so that developers can take better advantage of the rich Internet experience. It steams me that the author of that article seems bent on pointing out that MS has this "ultimate plan" to kill Adobe.

    Why can't people get past the whole pro vs. anti-Microsoft thing? I may be ranting here (apologies in advance), but railing on MS for their past business practices (which I don't condone, BTW) is pointless. I tend to use the best tools available for the technologies that I code for, and Microsoft has some good ones! Sure, they are proprietary, but it could be any large corporation in MS's place, and people would rail on them for being the "big, bad corporation"! Open source has its' place in the industry, as does proprietary software!

    Let's get past the hate, and just stick to what we (developers) do best: write awesome code!! I get stoked when I hear of new technologies coming out (from MS or Sun, or whomever), since that means the online experience users want is getting better, and WE are the ones who give it to the masses!!

    W00t to new technologies!!

    --
    Attention all planets of the Solar Federation! We have assumed control! - Neil Peart
    1. Re:Ugh, I tire of this... by Microlith · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Silverlight is a tool that Microsoft is designing so that developers can take better advantage of the rich Internet experience.

      Sounds like marketing drivel to me.

      Why can't people get past the whole pro vs. anti-Microsoft thing?

      While financials are right in stating that past performance does not guarantee future performance, microsoft does not get the benefit of the doubt. They have (and continue to, albeit subtly) acted maliciously towards their competitors for a long time, and will spread FUD whenever they can to drive users to the "platform of choice*", namely Windows and Windows-derivatives.

      Not to say that Microsoft hasn't come up with some good things. The problem is that adopting these good things puts you right where Microsoft wants you: following them lockstep, but never quite able to catch up.

      That said, your post reeks of cheerleader. Wake me up when Mono catches up to .NET 3.0 (I think they just got 1.0 WinForms support and are nearing 2.0 compatibility?)

    2. Re:Ugh, I tire of this... by Dan667 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I think that you are glossing over three decades of Microsoft stifling innovation, locking out others, and bullying. It is a very healthy thing to scrutinize Microsoft's activity and make sure others know to be wary of them. If they are going to behave differently they are not going to gain trust over night. But there is nothing so far that show that Microsoft is behaving any less badly than they have before.

    3. Re:Ugh, I tire of this... by LWATCDR · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Well it has more to do with standards. I don't want to have anything I do on the internet tied to one OS, browser, or even software supplier.
      Flash is supported on more OS's and more browsers than Silverlight.
      Also I just can not trust microsoft to keep supporting anything but Windows.
      IE, Mediaplayer, and VBA for Office all show that Microsoft will not support anything but Windows.
      That isn't really politics it is just logic. The internet should be OS and Browser neutral.

      --
      See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
  7. Really nice Silverlight sample site by RingDev · · Score: 4, Interesting

    http://gallery1.demconvention.com/

    Yup, the Democratic National Convention site is Silverlight. The bandwidth isn't quite as impressive as it was while the event was going on. But flip through the site and check out the functionality.

    As someone who has developed a bit with the beta Silverlight tools, I have to say it is an amazing platform. And I'm quite excited about using it in the future.

    -Rick

    --
    "Most people in the U.S. wouldn't know they live in a tyrannical state if it walked up and grabbed their junk." - MyFirs
    1. Re:Really nice Silverlight sample site by argent · · Score: 4, Insightful

      But flip through the site and check out the functionality.

      We're sorry, but the Democratic Convention video web site isn't compatible with your operating system and/or browser.

      I'm sorry, but you're making me more interested in what McCain's got to say.

  8. More links on the topic by Dragonshed · · Score: 4, Informative

    SL Eclipse Tools project
        http://www.eclipse4sl.org/

    MS Press release (interestly enough, it plans linux as a supported platform)
        http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2008/oct08/10-13Silverlight2PR.mspx

    Silverlight 2 release is imminent.

  9. The proper way to woo. by bionicpill · · Score: 4, Funny

    Everyone knows real developers work on beer, not on Eclipse.

  10. Lovely rant, but I have to know one thing by Weaselmancer · · Score: 5, Funny

    How the hell did you get all that in there fast enough to be the top page post? I just picture someone foaming at the mouth and typing so fast hummingbirds are frightened.

    I have my problems with Microsoft too, but damn. Go outside. Walk a park. Read a book. You don't need an ulcer at your age.

    --
    Weaselmancer
    rediculous.