LET’S see: Adobe has launched its own video player that will allow you to play Flash-based video offline on your PC or portable devices, while Microsoft wants to give Adobe’s Flash and Apple’s QuickTime a run for their money with Silverlight, a.k.a. TSTFKAWPF/E or The Software Thankfully Formerly Known As Windows Presentation Foundation/Everywhere.
Boy, things sure are heating up, huh?
So is it another case of Microsoft wanting to be cool by copying, er, I mean, embracing and extending a rival’s product?
Well, let’s face it, Flash powers hugely popular sites such as YouTube and MySpace, and so Internet video platforms have become another important battlefield.
Microsoft is going into battle not only to win the hearts and minds of the thousands of users who enjoy watching online video and interacting via Web 2.0 applications, but to convince content publishers and web designers that Silverlight should be the new standard.
We’re not just talking about watching cats flush toilets on YouTube here, OK? We’re talking about rich Internet applications that will have an impact on online advertising, online and mobile video, and digital music, to name just a few arenas.
So, who do you think will win? Place your bets now 
May 5th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
@Jojo
Same thing could be said of OS/2 versus Windows, with the latter winning against the technologically superior former.
@Marvin
Either you’re blind, or you consider the millions of Windows and Office users as ghost.
May 2nd, 2007 at 1:13 am
For me, I think Microsoft’s strategy is not to just to compete with Adobe. Microsoft has long been in the Software industry and it has been providing developers with really good frameworks that solves a lot of development issues. One of those issues is the gap between designers and developers, if Microsoft will be able to pull Silverlight off, it would be able to better sell its software products esp. .Net. I’ve seen SilverLight and I think its really good and it caters to different need and solves a different problem.
April 18th, 2007 at 3:41 pm
Streaming online video is one space where Microsoft cannot leverage its desktop dominance.
April 18th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
>> So is it another case of Microsoft wanting to be cool by copying, er, I mean, embracing and extending a rival’s product?
How is this embrace and extend again? Silverlight isn’t based on Flash technology.
April 18th, 2007 at 11:47 am
Microsoft? lol.. either you or microsoft is joking!
Since when did they release software people actually used?
April 18th, 2007 at 11:25 am
Like MS or not… OH MY GOD does Adobe need competition… I mean, come’on. At least there are viable alternatives for operating systems… (You like your Mac… that’s totally cool by me. I like my PC… that should be fine by you as well.) A designer/developer can make a choice of OS, but it seems like Adobe stands alone in their field.
Anyhow, Apple… Google… Adobe… MS… 6 of 1 half a dozen of the other. Lets see some new blood. The bigs should be slugging it out… and they should have to face credible threats to their dominance in their respective fields… we should welcome these challenges… and drop the jaded crap.
April 18th, 2007 at 8:02 am
I’m rooting for adobe, they’ve been the authority in digital graphics since ever.
People are just getting tired of Micro$oft.
April 17th, 2007 at 10:27 pm
adobe has a better track record in quality graphics and multimedia software than microsoft..photoshop, flash video and other high end graphics apps. microsoft will be playing catch up. dark horses will be apple and google.