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February 28, 2008
Apollo wrap
Apollo wrap: Three days after launch; seems a good time to step back and look at the reception. I was surprised by how much widespread attention the announcements drew. AIR was the top topic... something new to talk about. I don't think as many reporters understand the differences in Flex 3, but over the next year they'll see the effects in public projects... I suspect the persistent framework caching alone is a gamechanger, but it will take awhile for the world to recognize what happened. The new opensource.adobe.com is the sleeper announcement of the three -- at least for today. ;-) AIR was the biggest story this week. Lots of reporters played it straight, doing press-release rehashes. Lots of reporters got it wrong -- if, by now, they can't tell the difference between desktop apps and browser plugins, they're really not worth listening to (even though their voices can be loud). But a few reporters did see the shocking ramifications of making any desktop available to any web developer, so there's hope for the world. ;-) Overall, the reception reminded me most of how Flash Video was originally received -- some people saw the implications quickly, while others understood it only after universal browser capability was achieved and high-profile projects like YouTube profited from the new abilities. Give it time; the fundamentals are very strong. One strange theme was Microsoft's weak response, sending a "prepared statement" to various reporters about security concerns, yet not speaking directly on the record... Brad Becker (whose blog doesn't actually accept comments) was quoted in the New York Times (which requires vetting by MS PR!) about a "gaping security hole" and later backtracked to "I think .NET has a better security model"... seemed to me like they were trying to damage the launch but not commit to the public record. Weak, but Microsoft has enough other problems that "this too shall pass". Anyway, lots and lots of people have AIR on their radar (yay Adobe/Macromedia acquisition!), and an encouraging number of people have a clear understanding of the actual potential for change here. Over the coming year I see misconceptions persisting for awhile, but steadily diminishing... it did take quite awhile to understand other disruptive forces, like Flash video. We're in a good place... need to continue to execute well, but time is on our side.
Posted by JohnDowdell at February 28, 2008 10:02 AM
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Comments
heh.. i like your approach JD..insult the press for not getting the messaging around Adobe AIR.
hmm... not sure that will work going forward..
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Scott Barnes
Microsoft.
Posted by: Scott Barnes at February 29, 2008 08:16 PM
It took awhile for me to realize that a Microsoft staffer was talking about the press and influence, but did not address the "prepared statement" that reporters say Microsoft passed around. If Microsoft's messaging is in the public record, I'd like to hear the original.
jd/adobe
Posted by: John Dowdell at March 2, 2008 10:25 AM
What are you seeking on the record jd? you're not being clear and are fishing for a quote to validate Adobe AIR...
[jd sez: Where's the "prepared statement" from Microsoft, about "gaping security holes in AIR" and such? Lots of reporters refer to it, but I don't see the actual source file in the public record.]
Adobe AIR 1.0 is a failure, [jd sez: Ciao, baby.] it lacks clear messaging and roadmaps that outline it's true value proposition. Not to mention it lacks evidence or facts around the investment comparison matrix..something I'm noticing stops at the "installation of Adobe AIR" (ie noticed no clear messaging around server-side investment tool investments and skillset investment(s) - both employee and employer - as that's not really going to provide a cost effective story?)
In the end, folks whom build Adobe CS3 Products used Visual Studio. That's because we're really good at the desktop discussion, the reason why we are good at this is simply because our customer base has not only matured us but continue to open the platform discussion to a depth engagement instead of a breadth. This in turn ensures we at Microsoft continue to push ourselves to not only meet customer demands but hopefully exceed them.
Yes you can use Adobe AIR on OSX and Windows today, but can you do much more than put Flash with a desktop icon or access the File system with an attitude of "all or nothing"... answer is flat no.
If you want to create a basic POS application, you're going to have to muddy the waters with javascript bridge based solutions, which in the end devalues the desktop proposition. Then you could offer up a CommandProxy based idea much like Mike @ Adobe floated, but that didn't play well either..
Adobe AIR? answer = more work is needed and I doubt 1.0 is substantial enough to offer any real value going forward other than "look mah, Flash with a desktop icon"..
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Scott Barnes
Microsoft.
Posted by: Scott Barnes at March 3, 2008 05:20 PM