RSSSilverlight 1.0 Released, Linux Version Coming
By Nate Mook | Published September 5, 2007, 10:45 AM
Wednesday marked the final 1.0 release of Microsoft's new Silverlight platform for building interactive Web experiences à la Flash, but the big news is that Redmond will extend official support to Novell's Linux port of Silverlight.
Silverlight was first unveiled earlier this year, promising to make it easier for developers to build rich Web applications without delving into the complexities behind AJAX or suffering its limitations. This space is growing increasingly crowded with Adobe's new AIR runtime and Sun's JavaFX.
Like Flash, Silverlight is a managed plug-in for distributing scalable graphics, that's also capable of delivering video. As you might expect, that video will utilize Microsoft's VC-1 codec, which has received much acclaim and which is among the standard codecs in both HD DVD's and Blu-ray's portfolios.
Now that Microsoft has delivered version 1.0 of Silverlight, it is working hard to encourage its adoption by helping customers take advantage of the technology and establishing a partner program for third-parties to offer Silverlight-oriented services.
CBS and Paramount have deployed a Silverlight experience on ETOnline for the Emmy Awards, with plans to do the same for the Golden Globes and Oscars. Home Shopping Network and WWE are also putting Silverlight on their Web sites. Break.com includes a special Silverlight-built search feature for video navigation, which Microsoft says "pushes the envelope for video on the Web."
The final 1.0 build includes bug fixes and incorporates feedback from the Silverlight release candidate, but no new features, Microsoft Group Product Manager Parimal Deshpande told BetaNews. Microsoft itself is deploying Silverlight in a few areas, such as its Podium 2008 Web site for information on elections, and to stream Halo 3 videos.
But Deshpande says Silverlight "is not just about the software, it's about the backend services." In turn, Microsoft will be providing free video hosting to Silverlight customers. The company also announced 35 partners to help with design, content deliver and more for providing Silverlight experiences on the Web.
Touting its support for open source efforts, Microsoft is additionally working with Novell to bring Silverlight to Linux, after receiving numerous customer requests for such capability. Novell was already working on its own port of the software called Moonlight, and Microsoft now expects Novell to deliver a Linux version of Silverlight 6 months from today.
With 1.0 out the door, the focus is on Silverlight 1.1, which was already available in preview form and adds full .NET support. While Silverlight 1.0 applications can be programmed with XAML and JavaScript, the integration of the .NET Framework means developers can utilize ASP.NET, Visual Basic, C#, Python and even Ruby.
Deshpande said no launch date has been set for Silverlight 1.1, but it expects Novell to ship a Linux version of that release 9 months after its debut. A September CTP of Silverlight 1.1 will be available for download soon.
smith288: Microsoft is a business, a business is meant to make $$. Is Microsoft supposed to donate all their revenue to some cause or something? Why don't you say "$nix"? The distros make money...
Yes some distros do make money but not many of them. Linux costs far less than Microsoft Vista so that is why Microsoft is called M$ and most very good distros are free so buying Linux is often not necessary.
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|Try the reply button. I hear it does wonders.
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|a silverlight google coop search engine
http://www.google.com/co...554126616%3Apiljwfxcemo
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|That's the link to manage the engine, not to use it.
Requires login.
Oops...
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|I'm confused. Is nobody else getting error messages when you visit silverlight's homepage? I get scripting error messages on vista and XP, IE 7 and Firefox 2.0.0.6.
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|No problems here with IE7 for XP, IE7 for Vista, or IE6 SP2 for XP. Still haven't spent the time to test Firefox yet though.
I'm sure if you're getting errors, there's bound to be some other folks (with whatever incompatibility or whatever that you have) getting them though. What errors are you getting?
Check your IE7 addons maybe...but your FF is giving you trouble too though...hmm--I dunno. Do a google search of your error messages and see if anyone else has the same issues that you have. You have me curious on this now..
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|"Error Type: DownloadError
Error Message: AG_E_NETWORK_ERROR
Error Code: 4001"
It seems to have resolved later in the day.
Other user having same issue in the download section:
http://fileforum.betanew...or_Windows/1165253904/1
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|Silverlight is pretty cool stuff. If anything, it raises the bar on adobe and we all benefit.
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|So what does this do that Flash does not?
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|Go try it and find out.
Ohh wait, you can't program? Too bad then.
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|http://weblogs.asp.net/j...he-developer-story.aspx
Flash Vs. Silverlight. From the perspective of a Flash dev.
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|and hosted on a M$ site. wonder which one he will promote...
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|Try using Blend.
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|You took one look at the URL and ignored the fact that the author has a 7-year track record with Flash. He has been well-known in Flash, Open Source, and other non-MS communities. In short, he's credible whereas you're just quick to shoot off BS.
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|does not look like much at this point.
respecfully it reminds me of a flash clone.
I do look foward in to more samples to see what else it can do
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|sure. he is a household name...huge into Flash and Open Source, yet he keeps his blog on a M$ site. Seems a little odd...
Everyone has their opinion...mine is why use a M$ proprietary tech? history has taught us several times this is not a good idea.
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|I try to stay away from the M$ garbage technologies. The company i work for and the companies i have worked for in the past use *nix and Java, with some PHP and Perl for fun.
We purposefully avoid vendor lock-in whenever possible, so M$ tech is ruled out off the bat. Not to mention I would not trust M$ software running my enterprise anymore than i would trust a fat kid to hold my candy bar.
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|"M$"
Anyone who uses this term immediately is deemed a schmoe.
Microsoft is a business, a business is meant to make $$. Is Microsoft supposed to donate all their revenue to some cause or something? Why don't you say "$nix"? The distros make money...
Kids....
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|For ****s sake, dude. You asked, I provided.
Do you have to b**** and moan about *everything*???
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|So you ignore any technical or functional merit and base your opinion solely on the fact that it's MS tech?
Wow.
..and you don't think you an MS troll??
If your mind was already made up, why did oyu even ask the question if it wasn't just to troll any response given?
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|I wonder if MS would ever consider using stupid Linux product names like "Feisty Bunghole" or "Whorry Holebuster" or whatever. I'm sure they will stick to names like "Silverlight 2007 Ultimate Premium Extras Edition .NET Plus Enterprise"
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|or they can just give it a stupid animal name like Silverlight Dragon Jungle Puma OS ZX 1.3....
wait ... I think Apple has a copyright on that one
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