I think your making a very smart gamble, I too believe silverlight will be huge. But it must be marketed as good as Adobe markets Flash, I know that is fluff but very necessary fluff.

I would summarize Silverlight as "Flash for business". Furthermore, its also akin to VB.NET and C# really. Many Java/C/C++ developers that migrated to C# over the last 2-3 years wanted to program in a much more mature language. This is one of the reasons that I think Silverlight has a huge edge. Its that perception that Silverlight is more mature (when it really isn't) than Flash in RIA development shops. Getting developers/architects on board with Silverlight is a lot easier than getting them on board with Flash. This I think is a major advantage over Flash (remember the best technology doesn't always win i.e. Netscape, Windows, even the iPhone (that lacks 50% of the features in phones 2 years ago))

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Silverlight Cream for August 12, 2008 -- #344

hey, silverlight is really facing flash's great pressure, technically speaking, a long long long way for silverlight to perform as good flash.

for example, 3d rendering, the performance of silverlight is really bad, I mean too bad. check out: blog.nerdplusart.com/.../a-survey-of-silverlight-3d

check out how flash does: http://temp.roxik.com/datas/max2007/index.html


and for other funcionalities, a lot are missing, you cannot do this and that.

All I said is that sl is just a little baby, and flash is an adult. Just like the early release of .net against java.


but sl has quite a few advantages against flash, such as .net fx backend with support for a lot of .net languages and assemblies(right now only a few,
though).

Who cares, the only thing that's important now is market share of the runtime.

Right now, you can't build internet apps with Silverlight! Even the Olympics recognizes that SL is a second class citizen. Everything is in Flash, and you have to beg them to try SL.

Limited Intranet apps is all we've got, because we don't even have a roll out schedule.

Wake up Fallon Massey, where do you live (yes, you said US!).

Look at this NBC coverage which uses only Silverlight (http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/).

Market Share!. Isn't it Microsoft delivered Flash as part of IE install. Do you remember? It will do the same with next IE8 and also with the windows upgrades.

Just wake up and start learning Silverlight.

I think that it's clearly going to be a good thing for the RIA world as a whole when developers and content delivery authors realize that it doesn't have to be one or the other anymore. These technologies are doing different things, and there's a huge gain to be had if we can all realize how to leverage both of them at the same time. When was the last time you had a great gourmet meal that was prepared entirely with one cooking utensil? Or more to the point, entirely with one brand of appliance?

Flash, AIR, Silverlight, WPF... even JFX... these are all great things for RIA developers to choose their weapons from. www.flensed.com/.../

As a long-time C++ developer, I echo what Bart said above: C# was easy to pick up and like a dream come true compared with how tedious C++ development can be. Surprise, now with Silverlight I'm a web developer, too!

If I were Flash, I would be afraid.

Silverlight appeals to a very specific group of developers and as the result it will be confined to a very specific market : Intranet. I can't tell how big is that market is but I am sure it is important for Microsoft and its ISVs. Internet at large is not ready for Silverlight and probably not going to be for a while. So, if filling a niche market is Microsoft's goal then they without a doubt will be successful. Otherwise, only time will tell.