Comments on: New York Times reader out for Mac, still a bad idea http://hackerjournalist.net/2008/05/22/new-york-times-reader-out-for-mac-still-a-bad-idea/ Like a photo journalist, but with a laptop Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:22:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Brian Boyer http://hackerjournalist.net/2008/05/22/new-york-times-reader-out-for-mac-still-a-bad-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-28 Brian Boyer Fri, 23 May 2008 15:15:27 +0000 http://sixthw.com/?p=77#comment-28 You're right. I was oversimplifying to suggest they were clones. They're very different. And they have different goals. The web has changed how software is delivered. The most cutting-edge applications today are online. All you need is a browser. Silverlight is Microsoft's reaction to the web. Applications built in HTML and Flash threaten their dominance as a platform. If I had any advice for Microsoft, it would be this: embrace the new ecosystem. Compete by building better software, not by creating a new platform. Also: I don't believe in the necessity of online/offline applications. They're a very, very expensive stopgap. We're moments from being online, all the time. If Gmail/Hotmail/Yahoo Mail can tell us anything, it's that most people don't need offline portability. You’re right. I was oversimplifying to suggest they were clones. They’re very different. And they have different goals.

The web has changed how software is delivered. The most cutting-edge applications today are online. All you need is a browser.

Silverlight is Microsoft’s reaction to the web. Applications built in HTML and Flash threaten their dominance as a platform.

If I had any advice for Microsoft, it would be this: embrace the new ecosystem. Compete by building better software, not by creating a new platform.

Also: I don’t believe in the necessity of online/offline applications. They’re a very, very expensive stopgap. We’re moments from being online, all the time. If Gmail/Hotmail/Yahoo Mail can tell us anything, it’s that most people don’t need offline portability.

]]> By: Brad King http://hackerjournalist.net/2008/05/22/new-york-times-reader-out-for-mac-still-a-bad-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-29 Brad King Fri, 23 May 2008 12:16:08 +0000 http://sixthw.com/?p=77#comment-29 I don't think it's accurate to describe Silverlight -- and it's MUCH cooler cousin AIR -- as Flash clones. The two allow for a great deal of online-offline flexibility which Flash absolutely can't do. The underlying architectures are different. That said: I had a chance to talk with the MS folks in Austin and you are right that choosing MS over Adobe will likely prove to be a bad choice. If you haven't tried out AIR applications, I suggest it because you'll see very quickly what the new app offers that Flash doesn't. I don’t think it’s accurate to describe Silverlight — and it’s MUCH cooler cousin AIR — as Flash clones.

The two allow for a great deal of online-offline flexibility which Flash absolutely can’t do. The underlying architectures are different.

That said: I had a chance to talk with the MS folks in Austin and you are right that choosing MS over Adobe will likely prove to be a bad choice. If you haven’t tried out AIR applications, I suggest it because you’ll see very quickly what the new app offers that Flash doesn’t.

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