« One reason why I love Bare Bones | Main | Proof there is no god »

Deltas and other annoyances

Some folks have wondered why I think it's such a bad thing that Novell is doing the Linux port of Microsoft's Silverlight, instead of well, Microsoft.

From "Novell, Microsoft Readying Moonlight":

BOSTON—Novell will be delivering a Linux-based version of Microsoft's Silverlight cross-browser, rich Internet application technology within six months.
Silverlight 1.0 is out now for Windows and Mac OS X, but Linux users don't even get the 1.0 runtime for six months, and that's assuming no problems. Actually, it's Linux and Solaris users:
De Icaza said that under its agreement with Microsoft, Novell's role is to deliver a 100 percent compatible Linux version of Silverlight in the Moonlight technology, which will support the major Linux distributions. Contractually, Novell has agreed to support the top three Linux distributions, but de Icaza said the company will go beyond that to support all major Linux distributions, as well as Sun Microsystems' Solaris operating system.
(As it turns out, *BSD too. Thanks Miquel for the better information!) Furthermore, what about the Moonlight 2.0, the follow-on to Silverlight 2.0?
Microsoft recently changed Silverlight 1.1 to Silverlight 2.0; following suit, Novell has done the same with Moonlight. Silverlight 2.0 is based on .Net, thus Moonlight 2.0 will feature Mono.

De Icaza indicated that he expects Silverlight 2.0 to ship around March 2008, around the time of Microsoft's Mix '08 conference. Moonlight 2.0 will then ship anywhere between six and 12 months after Silverlight 2.0.

I know I'm a pessimistic misanthrope, but how is this good by any stretch? Anyone not on Silverlight's Favored Platforms, (and considering that 2.0 is a relabled 1.1, I'm still waiting to see how long it takes Microsoft to drop Mac OS X support. The record for such things outside of the Mac BU is not good), is going to be six months to a year behind in perpetuity.

This is why when Microsoft, Apple, or really, any platform vendor says "That's a third party opportunity", what you should be hearing is "Anyone who wants that is fixin' to take it in the shorts."


Technorati Tags:
,


Categories:     Mac Matters, Technology
Posted by John C. Welch at 12:08 | Permalink



Comments

Warning for Notes users: The commenting system uses HTML.
I know this will be scary for some of you, especially Notes fans. However, open standards, rah-rah.
If you want to use less-than or greater-than signs, or other similar characters that HTML reserves,
you'll simply have to learn to do it the HTML way. Luckily, HTML is kind of popular, no matter what
your re-educators have told you, and you can easily find help on the intertubes.
digital.forest Where Internet solutions grow

There, a PayPal Button.

Bing
About the Author
How I do stuff on this site
Family
The Artwork of Melissa Findley
Diane Francis @ the National Post Eric Francis @ the Calgary Sun

BUY MY BOOK! BUY MY BOOK!
Non-DRM eBook PDF:
Get it direct from Peachpit!

Kindle Version:


Dead Tree Version:


Apple Amazon Links
Mac OS X Server 10.6 Snow Leopard

Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard

Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard Family Pack (5-User)

Amazon Book Links
Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA

The Donnas: Bitchin'

Wizards at War (The Young Wizards, Book 8)

The Demon's Sermon on the Martial Arts

The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke

JavaScript and Ajax for the Web, Sixth Edition

Awakening Warrior: Revolution in the Ethics of Warfare

FOB Links

Mac Web Writers

Techie Links

Review Victims