Flash/Flex vs Silverlight...
I was cleaning up my inbox earlier today and came across this awesome slide that highlights the key benefits and differences between Silverlight and Flash/Flex model. I just finished the Adobe 360 Flex conference in Seattle yesterday and this slide helps me understand both the platforms much better. A quick search on the web also points me to Michael Schawarz's blog which has a more detailed slide and a very active discussion. None the less, I thought this would serve as a good slide as I talk about Silverlight in my events this quarter.
| Features/Benefits | Silverlight | .NET | Flash/Flex |
| Rich 2D animation/graphics with audio and video | yes | yes | yes |
| Industry standard video codec | yes | yes | no |
| Scalable video format from HD to mobile | yes | yes | no |
| Hardware-assisted editing and encoding solutions | yes | yes | no |
| XML (XAML)-based presentation layer for SEO | yes | no | no |
| Choice of standards-based and high-performance languages | yes | yes | no |
| End-to-end server and application platform | yes | yes | no |
| Media server licensing (unlimited bandwidth) | $999 | $999 | $4500 |
| Content access protection (DRM) | yes | yes | no |
| Client side playlists for ad-insertion | yes | yes | yes |
| Robust video publishing tools and third-party ecosystem | yes | yes | no |
| High-performance, multi-core enabled client | yes | yes | no |
| Scalable full screen video up to HD (720p) | yes | yes | no |
| Native support for device-based video | yes | yes | no |
| Offline, document support | no | yes | no |
| Data Exchange with Web Server (Ajax, Web Service) | yes | yes | yes |
| Encrypted Content | no | yes | no |
| Binary or Text Format | text 1 | binary | binary |
| Easy Installation Support for Platform Requirements | yes | no | yes |
| Tools | yes (Beta/CTP) | yes | yes |
| 3D Support | no | yes | no |
| 3rd Party Controls | yes 2 | yes | yes |
| Client size | ~2MB | ~50MB | ~2MB |
| Supported operating systems | Windows/Mac3 | Windows4 | Windows/MacLinuxMobile (light) 5 |
1 maybe will be changed later; currently you could GZIP the content to reduce size of XAML code
2 using wpfeControl.createFromXaml(xamlstring);
3 Windows Vista and Windows XP Service Pack 2, Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, Windows Internet Explorer 7, Firefox 1.5.0.8 and 2.0.x; Apple Mac OS X, Firefox 1.5.0.8 and 2.0.x, Apple Safari 2.0.4
4 .NET 2.0: Windows 2000 Service Pack 3, Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows Vista; .NET 3.0: Windows Vista and Windows XP Service Pack 2; Internet Explorer 6, Windows Internet Explorer 7.
5 Flash Player 8: Windows Vista and Windows XP; Internet Explorer 6 and Windows Internet Explorer 7; Windows 2000 with Internet Explorer 5.x; Firefox 1.x, Mozilla 1.x, Netscape 7.x or later, AOL 9, Opera 7.11 or later; Mac OS X, Internet Explorer 5.2, Mozilla 1.x, Firefox 1.x, Safari 1.x or later.
Go on, Light on the web with more confidence!
While you are at it, also read the article '10 Things You Should Know About Microsoft's Silverlight' published in Computer World. Here's a succinct compile of the 10 things that the article talks about...
1. Silverlight Avoids Cross-Browser/OS Issues
2. Silverlight 1.1 Is the Real Story
3. Silverlight Uses Technologies Your Developers Already Know
4. Silverlight UI Is just Markup -- Like HTML
5. Silverlight and AJAX Technologies Are Complementary
6. Silverlight Allows Developers and Designers to Work Together
7. Silverlight Deliverables Are Not Atomic
8. Silverlight Is New
9. Silverlight XAML versus WPF XAML
10. Silverlight Is a Great Way to Learn XAML
-Mithun Dhar
Technorati tags: Silverlight, FLash, Flex, .Net, Compare