Re: Microsoft Silverlight Coming to the Internet Tablet
 

This is one heck of a off and biased comment; but I'll address something a bit less emotional just for the heck of staying on topic to the discussion.

Silverlight, like Flash, like QuickTime, like Shockwave, like Java, etc. :) is a runtime environment. MS built it as a competitor to AIR and Java. The latter is one that suffers from a ton of brokenness and performance issues on EVERY platform.

To date, SL has proven to be faster and less CPU intensive than Flash. And any RIA apps that have been developed with it were done easier than any that have yet to come via AIR.

In terms of Nokia's part in this, its a smart move to get Silverlight into the mix. One, because more and more apps will be connected and therefore the browser and any runtime environments will be the places to battle for developer attention. And two, because by announcing this, they can keep the pressure on Adobe and others to further pay attention to their hoard of mobile devices, and make sure that current implementations of said software are not the last versions.

Expect to see SL driven apps as part of any Qt initative since that port is already something in progress.

As for not wanting MS on your IT none; that is definitely your choice; but its users that also have a hand in making this call; if more users like the SL apps on the tablet, guess which runtime developers will spend the most time in towards making quality apps?

Re: Microsoft Silverlight Coming to the Internet Tablet
 

But there is still no real FOSS alternative to make websites less boring. I wish things like SVG and XUL would become useful enough to be that.

Re: Microsoft Silverlight Coming to the Internet Tablet
 

As a user, any standard components that will allow me to view a web page as intended on my IT is welcome.

From a developer perspective, it appears Silverlight is a little more optimize than Flash. The footprint is smaller and more developer friendly (free IDE, supports IronPython, IronRuby, C#, Javascript, VB).

Besides, if M$ didn't put out Silverlight, I'm sure someone in this community would port Moonlight (Mono's version of Silverlight) over. :)

Re: Microsoft Silverlight Coming to the Internet Tablet
 

It would be interesting to see a members' poll on whether people welcome this, umm, development with MS with open arms, suspicion or outright rejection.

Personally I don't trust MS (or their platforms) any further than I can throw (or "extend"?) them.

I wish Nokia would release details of their prorietary NIT hardware so that others like Ubuntu Mobile could assume responsibility of maintaining the (Free) software eco-system also for the Internet Tablets in the future.

Re: Microsoft Silverlight Coming to the Internet Tablet
 

Yeah, I'm afraid there are a couple of typos in the article.

By "embrace open innovation" you mean "eliminate open innovation".

By "creating additional choices" you mean "crush existing choices".

Other than that, cool! I'm always delighted to work for Microsoft for free to help them wipe everyone else out so I can pay more for a more restrictive computing experience.

Okay, true confession, I bought an N800 because it was one of the very few Microsoft-free portable devices. With this announcement, I have lost interest in updating to the 810. The reason is that Silverlight is part of a multi-stage plan to take control of the Internet. Stage 1 is to offer you an alternative to Flash. Stage 2 is lock Flash out of major commercial websites by using monopoly leverage (Windows, Office, etc.) against the major commercial websites. Stage 3 is to slow Silverlight development on non-Windows platforms to drive consumers to a Silverlight/Windows combination to crush the new enemies like Nokia, who were allies during Stages 1 and 2.

Re: Microsoft Silverlight Coming to the Internet Tablet
 

Ok. Back up. Do Research:
DRDOS
Stacker
Win32 O/S2
IE on the mac
Cross platform Directx
And look at how they got Win Mobile (destroyed a company and stole their phone tech. Can't remember their name.)

They have an agenda in this and it's never benevolent.

Re: Microsoft Silverlight Coming to the Internet Tablet
 

Actually, I find ARJWRight's comment to be off and biased. As for it being less emotional, well, who cares? If Cartman stands in the school yard and quietly and emotionlessly advocates Fascism, should he be taken more seriously?

The problem here is that AJRWright mistakes experience for bias. There is overwhelming evidence that Microsoft recruits allies and then destroys them, over and over and over. It is ON and UNBIASED to note this whenever Microsoft wants you to join them.

Microsoft is a serial killer. They will recruit you to help destroy Adobe and then recruit someone else to destroy you after Adobe is dead.

There can be no doubt that Silverlight on a non-Windows Mobile device will begin as a promising platform only to be left without crucial ecommerce features AFTER Flash has been dealt with.

They (Microsofties) even use this kind of language (serial killer, etc) internally. They refer to business as murder in the leaked emails from court cases. They speak of killing everyone not Microsoft and smiling while they do that. All you have to do is read their own words, available at places like groklaw, to understand how they operate. I looked at a Silverlight blog where they spoke of "how efficiently they completed their execution of Adobe".

Watch out because you may be their next ally / victim.

Re: Microsoft Silverlight Coming to the Internet Tablet
 

Darn tootin'!

Re: Microsoft Silverlight Coming to the Internet Tablet
 

Soooo, how many third party Flash implementations are there? Oh, wait, none.
It's not 1995, you can drop the stupid "M$", it's not hip anymore.
So what if they destroy Adobe. Screw Adobe. Any company that makes you reboot your damn computer for updating friggin Acrobat Reader deserves to die.

Re: Microsoft Silverlight Coming to the Internet Tablet
 

I have a quick tip for making a website less boring:

Interesting content.

My Drupal blog is 100% FOSS (afaik), and still looks great. No flash or Moonlight or any of that other crap though. The result is that it loads pretty quickly, even though it's behind a ADSL line.

And I'll join the "Just say No to Microsoft Technology" crowd. I'm not sure what Miguel de Icaza is smoking to make supporting Microsoft proprietary standards seem a good idea either.