Silverlight Released, Linux Version Coming

Today Microsoft announced the release of Silverlight 1.0 for Windows and Mac OS X. This cross-browser, cross-platform browser plug-in is fully supported and competes directly with Adobe Flash. Included in this release was the promise from Microsoft to support the 100% compatible Linux version, called Moonlight.

what about solaris

[ptr2004]

will it be called sunlight :-)

Readers digest version:

[packetmon]

Original Microsoft® Silverlight(TM) is a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in for delivering the next generation of .NET based media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web. Silverlight offers a flexible programming model that supports AJAX, VB, C#, Python, and Ruby, and integrates with existing Web applications. Silverlight supports fast, cost-effective delivery of high-quality video to all major browsers running on the Mac OS or Windows.

True translation: Microsoft® Silverlight(TM) is a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in that will ultimately be leveraged by bot-net herders using the next generation of .NET attacks. Silverlight offers bot-net herders a flexible programming model that supports AJAX, VB, C#, Python, and Ruby, and integrates with existing Web applications that can be used for spam, IRC, DDoS and XSS "I hax0r3d j0or payGe". Silverlight supports fast, cost-effective delivery of all major attacks.

Re:what about solaris

[Anonymous Coward]

...and the one for embedded systems is called fleshlight.

err, wait.

Re:Silverlight IS a wonderful thing

[Anonymous Coward]

Sounds like you've never heard of Adobe Flex (or a dictionary, for that matter).

Re:Doing the right thing?

[Anonymous Coward]

Good god. Shave off your fucking neckbeard. Try actually READING the fucking specs on silverlight and then saying that. It's actually a pretty nice transition from flash. But you're the average slashdot poster. Steve Balmer could save 25 children from burning to death in a building and you dumb fuckers would say he strapped them to a chair and threw them out the window to save them.

Re:Doing the right thing?

[_xeno_]

You haven't been watching Adobe if you think Microsoft is doing this just to compete with Flash. Adobe is planning on turning Flash into a complete OS-independent application delivery platform. (The Adobe rep insisted this included Linux when asked.)

The best example of a similar technology is Java Web Start [sun.com]. Adobe has the install base to push a new version of Flash to enough end users to get a large enough user base to really try something like this. Continuing the analogy with Java, Flash currently fills the Java Applet niche, and Adobe wants to move into the Java Web Start niche.

Microsoft wants that market, which is the point behind XAML [xaml.net] and other technologies. Silverlight is simply Microsoft firing back at Adobe. They both see a future in rich applications delivered over the web, and are both competing for that market. Silverlight is just one part of that - both hope to get web developers hooked on their platform, to support their rich application delivery framework.

Since that's the point, you can expect Microsoft to support cross-platform Silverlight as long as Adobe supports cross-platform Flash. They're both hoping to slide into a new market using Flash-like technology.

Re:Gnash

[Anonymous Coward]

Cool, maybe I could run it on HURD along side my copy of Duke Nukem Forever.

Re:Gnash

[ettlz]

Er, "Kick out the YAMS, motherfucker"?

bzz bzz

[Anonymous Coward]

You attract more bees with honey than with vinegar

So you're responsible for all these goddamn bees!

Re:What can posibly happen...

[Nazlfrag]

They're not destroyed, just wrapped up tightly in multiple layers of DRM.