JD on EP

John,

For the last 6 years I used Macromedia products and I never needed anyone to ask me to spread the word. I think that many of us out there feel like I do, I spread the word because I love those products that make my daily work easier. That's why Macromedia always had this great community because all of us did believe in the potential of what you have created so far and I'm sure that no one will be disapointed with this technology.

Without your great products, all the web would be a mess (ok, ok that's a bit too much).

Keep the great job.

"Live-text refreshes"? What year was it that the Shockwave Multiuser Server was originally released which gave Shockwave users the ability to push data from a server to many clients or even peer-to-peer? There's your ghetto, JD. Straight outta Director....

b"I've suffered more than enough "You must use Internet Explorer" web apps in my life"

I think it's not much worse than
"You must use Windows or Macintosh OS to see this web app."
Once macr..err..adobe fixes that one, your quote would be valid.

Won't it be better for Adobe sales team to spread the word to I.T Service/Integrators/Consultancies then us lowly developers ? :)

I guess New Zealand is small/unimportant market but
where I work (about 200+ developers) Microsoft, IBM and other vendors are always sending stuff/invites to seminars etc to our management so there's much better awareness of their products.

Joao, thanks, I know and appreciate that... I rarely ask directly for help, but if Flex 2 awareness gets out to the wider tech world in the next few months, then we'll be in a much better position than if it becomes just "another way than Flash Pro".

Darrel, yep, you're right... I remember trying to argue for Ajax-like experiences back in the late 90s in the Web-authoring newsgroups, but Jesse James Garrett did a much better job than I did. ;-)

MJ, you're right that we're not completely universal... but we're trying! ;-) Consistent media support is particularly difficult across Linux configurations, as Tinic describes. The goal is to be as wide as possible, as unobtrusively as possible -- no new downloads, no browser changes, much less OS or hardware changes. It's not perfect yet, but that's the goal.

And field operations are absolutely essential, agreed. Microsoft is more than ten times as big as Adobe, and IBM is still larger than that, so they'll have a larger field presence too. I just met a bunch of people from the Sydney offices last week at the Adobe Worldwide Sales Meet, and they're eager on this new stuff too. But Scott Fegette is also taping a lot of Breeze presentations for the beta launch, so you'll be able to hear key players talk whenever you want.... ;-)

tx,
jd

> "I've suffered more than enough "You must use Internet Explorer" web apps in my life"

You must use windows to use Flex Builder 2...
(waits for the backhand)

[ Check FAQ at labs... this Java-based Eclipse editor is *theoretically* runnable cross-platform, but in practice requires special handling... FAQ states the early preview is indeed Windows first, but Mac should be finished at about the same time. Lightroom's the reverse. --jd ]</strong.

Rob,

Check these out:
Resources for Compiling ActionScript 3 and MXML from the command line
A Ruby Script for Compiling Flex Applications

There are other ways to compile Flex apps. So if you can do without design view, code-hinting, etc, then not being on Windows does not inhibit you from building Flex apps.

-James

Couple of things,

What is Adobe doing to foster a substantial 3rd party eco system (ala VB) IMHO this is where MS did the job, and made it happen. 3rd party components speed up development, for a couple hundred I can get dozens of components for .net. I assume the same will be with Avalon/Sparkle/Expression. Adobe should have a small team just building up this eco system. During the interviews for alpha testing I put this at the top of the list both times.

How does Adobe plan to position against the up coming MS competing products. Granted it is hard to get a designer to change tools, and MS will have some trouble here. However in a enterprise, it’s the enterprise that dictates the tools. Due to MS’s substantial developer base there tools will be first choice, unless their design tool side flops (here’s hoping).

Don’t get me wrong I love flex 2.0, and am working on a product using it. Have devoted over 6months full time just in flex building, learning, and can’t wait for launch so I can let loose this products first version. But; after using MS products since VB 1.0, and still using them (web services, RDMS etc..) I can see what a tough job you have ahead. In short if you keep innovating we’ll keep using it. I’ll do what I can to spread the word, that goes without saying/asking.

How about adding some innovative new components to flex 2. Scheduling, project grids etc.. You guy’s are the top or the top when it comes to user interface, and ergonomics. Let loose a small team for this. Not many developers have design ability.

Take a look at companies like Component One, Infragistics, PureComponents. This is the stuff you need, companies that make a business at building components for Flex developers. Even if it was more expensive I’d buy them. Saves me time. You have a great product, and you’re the only one in this space “for now”. The product is priced fairly. Take advantage, and build the eco system.

Just my 2cp

Jason

Oop's sorry for typing in word ;) The comment box was too small.

jason

jd.

doing my part to help the cause:

http://www.revolutionwebdesign.com/blog/index.cfm/2006/1/27/Help-a-brotha-out-the-Ghetto

Thanks, Tony.

Jason, you're right. There's, uh, also a reason why you haven't seen folks like Mike Chambers, Christian Cantrell, or Danny Dura online as much lately... I can't say what they're doing myself, but I know they've been working real hard along, uh, similar lines.... ;-)

(I think there will always be a funding discrepancy with larger companies like Microsoft and IBM... MS has over ten employees for every person at Adobe. But I was real happy to hear the emphasis on "ecologies" post-merger, this seems a unifying principle within the new company.)

Good to hear JD. I know if I was not working on my own dream project I would be building 3rd party components. What great opportunity. Perhaps if my dream project does not get past beta I’ll do just that :)

John,

If you were talking about Flash vs Flex 2.0, I can see your point. But AJAX is here, and Flex 2.0 is, what, nearing Beta? So you can't lament that your Beta technology, which is a derivative of the core technology (Flash) is not getting mindshare.

We are continuallly talking to our clients about the benefits of RIA and the Flash platform (by that I mostly mean Flash 7/8 with remoting to Java), but my clients tend to think that your messaging has been inconsistent, to say the least, and I have to agree.

When you have a history of pushing then abandoning products (Generator, Central, Flex 1.0, Flash Components V2, ...) you tend to leave a few bruises in your marketplace.

Tom I don't agree with you for Flex 1.0...
Flex 1.0 wasn't abandoned.