|
|
|
Forum Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 5/10/2007 3:44:06 PM
Posts: 3,
Visits: 12
|
|
Trying to get an overview of what is what and what is best 
Is MS BLEND the same as Adobe's Apollo ?
As i read it Blend is exactly the same as Apollo. They are both trying to blend desktop apps with web apps.
Can anyone confirm if they are about the same thing ?
Also if you want to use Blend or Expression in General to do the same as Apollo, What do you actually need from the MS Expression packages ?
We have Web, Blend, Media and so on. Can i use Blend and nothing else to compete with Apollo, or do i need more than Blend ?
Lars
Lars
|
|
|
|
|
Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 8/14/2007 8:50:45 AM
Posts: 12,
Visits: 96
|
|
| Hi From my understanding, looking at adobe labs site, Apollo is more like Silverlight than Blend. Blend is the Design Tool to create interfaces, or simple apps for use in Silverlight and dot net resources, while Apollo, still in early alpha, uses any Interface like Eclipse IDE etc and works with Adobes Flash, Flex, Ajax etc. Apollo is over 7 meg download plus you have to have the latest Flash download too, while Silverlight is just over a meg and uses the systems dot net resources, and the new WMV VC1 HD codec that is really high end. From what I've read ,so far at least, my opinion is stick with the Expression Suite as it's way ahead of game out of the box (except for the catching up with flash part). Eitherway, it's good news for developers who want to create new Rich Internet Application. Edit: Sun just announced today May08 their opensource JavaFX Script which they state competes with Apollo and SilverLight. We'll see. Just my two and a half cents
RJ McNicol
|
|
|
|
|
Forum Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 5/10/2007 3:44:06 PM
Posts: 3,
Visits: 12
|
|
When i read up on Silverlight, Expression(blend) and Apollo, i get pretty confused.
I am a windows developer so the MS way would be the easiest/best for me. But what i like about Apollo is that they make it clear what it is. I do not feel that MS do that. Expression, Silverlight confuses me because they seem both to be able to develop webApp and desktopApp, and which one is what. And to be able to build Apollo like desktop apps exactly what software from MS do you need? Blend, Media, Silverlight? Apollo makes it much more clear than MS.
Basically i just need to develop RIA's on the desktop level. Just like Apollo. What software from the Expression packages do i need?
Can i start out right away with Silverlight/Expression?
Lars
|
|
|
|
|
Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 8/14/2007 8:50:45 AM
Posts: 12,
Visits: 96
|
|
| Oh I see. Then for windows it would be Windows Presentation Foundation - WPF for mainly Desktop apps as Silverlight is WPF/e for mainly cross platform web related content. Again Blend can do Desktop apps but is mainly a UI design interface using XMAL (MS version XML) that can be read into Visual Studio Platforms. Take a look at the Visual Studio's Orca Beta1 that's out now that is a FULL development package, web, desktop apps, WPF, Dot net..the works. I'm mainly a designer and not into hard coding as in c++, Java etc. so I hope I'm pointing you in the right direction. Cheers
RJ McNicol
|
|
|
|
|
Supreme Being
Group: Administrators
Last Login: 10/24/2008 2:27:36 PM
Posts: 437,
Visits: 632
|
|
Ya, RJ is pretty right on there. Silverlight is really meant to compete with the Flash plug-in online, and at that it seems MS has really been showing Silverlight for video online, though it can do more. Blend is meant mostly as a bridge between designers and developers when making desktop applications. (Though the Blend 2 May Preview that is out now, can also be used to build Silverlight projects.) I think MS is really trying to target Blend to designers, but developers can use it too. As RJ said, its really just an interface. If you really knew how to code for WPF and XAML, my understanding is you could do everything Blend does, with code.
I do agree with you though alagami, MS divides these products up so much that it does get really confusing. RJ broke it down pretty well though.
=========================
My wife has given birth to our twins, so I'm still going to be spotty around here. It never seems to correct itself does it? I'm sorry, I'm trying.
=========================
|
|
|
|
|
Forum Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 5/10/2007 3:44:06 PM
Posts: 3,
Visits: 12
|
|
Thanx for the summary.
If you compare with Apollo then yes it is quite confusing.
I guess the real force of Apollo is the possibility of running different web-based-programming-languages + flash based languages and run it as desktop-applications. I tried the demo and it was both fun and easy to get started. Also i tried some of the apps that people are putting out there and it really rocks. My first thought was if i could get similar in .NET and use C# as codebehind, but still also ajax, javascript etc., i would have the optimal solution to develop super-modern desktop-applications. But back when Apollo alpha was launched i was not aware of MS doing anything similar. So i started getting into Adobe's programming languages. I was a bit frustrated to begin on a whole new platform/framework but i was so impressed over Apollo that i thought it was worth the time. A while later i read about Silverlight and MS Expression + WPF(/E).
As i read MS's sites on Expression and Silverlight, i need to go with Blend, but it will be an advantage for me to go with the big Expression package ;-) With blend i will be able to develop web-a-like desktop applications. Via blend and .NET 3.0's WPF and with a little help from Silverligt the UI of tomorrows desktops will change for the better giving the developer freedom ;-)
At least i hope so. I am still not sure which must mean that i am still confused...
Dustin (5/10/2007)
Ya, RJ is pretty right on there. Silverlight is really meant to compete with the Flash plug-in online, and at that it seems MS has really been showing Silverlight for video online, though it can do more. Blend is meant mostly as a bridge between designers and developers when making desktop applications. (Though the Blend 2 May Preview that is out now, can also be used to build Silverlight projects.) I think MS is really trying to target Blend to designers, but developers can use it too. As RJ said, its really just an interface. If you really knew how to code for WPF and XAML, my understanding is you could do everything Blend does, with code.
I do agree with you though alagami, MS divides these products up so much that it does get really confusing. RJ broke it down pretty well though.
Lars
|
|
|
|