Comments on: Apollo: Please abort this mission http://ipurbia.com/2007/03/apollo-please-abort-this-mission.html Telecom/Internet News, Rumors, and Rants Fri, 05 Oct 2007 13:54:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Ben Stoker http://ipurbia.com/2007/03/apollo-please-abort-this-mission.html/comment-page-1#comment-15 Ben Stoker Thu, 22 Mar 2007 03:10:00 +0000 http://ipurbia.com/?p=53#comment-15 Though my comment isn't as lengthy as Kelly's or as insightful as John's, I still have to say that I agree with Clint whole heartedly. The entire concept that Adobe is working with here seems like one big slap in the face to application developers worldwide. I know that the phrase "get with the times" will be kicked around in the Apollo fanboy forums as soon as they show up, but it seems that this framework will take all of the true skill out of desktop application development. To me, it's like the NFL calling up the fans and saying, "Guess what? You don't have to be good at football to play anymore so go join your home team".<br/><br/>From my particular position in life, I'm not worried about it. Game development will still be done with C / C++ / C#...at least the consoles will.<br/><br/>Just my 2 cents worth. Though my comment isn’t as lengthy as Kelly’s or as insightful as John’s, I still have to say that I agree with Clint whole heartedly. The entire concept that Adobe is working with here seems like one big slap in the face to application developers worldwide. I know that the phrase “get with the times” will be kicked around in the Apollo fanboy forums as soon as they show up, but it seems that this framework will take all of the true skill out of desktop application development. To me, it’s like the NFL calling up the fans and saying, “Guess what? You don’t have to be good at football to play anymore so go join your home team”.

From my particular position in life, I’m not worried about it. Game development will still be done with C / C++ / C#…at least the consoles will.

Just my 2 cents worth.

]]> By: Kelly Storm http://ipurbia.com/2007/03/apollo-please-abort-this-mission.html/comment-page-1#comment-14 Kelly Storm Wed, 21 Mar 2007 20:40:00 +0000 http://ipurbia.com/?p=53#comment-14 1st point: being behind a version, and simply not providing support, are two totally different things. Sure, Flash is sometimes buggy in Linux, but look at the percentage of users in Windows/OSX compared to Linux Desktops, then tell me with a straight face that you want more attention towards Flash compatibility for Linux Desktop users. Also, Flash works wonderfully for me in Ubuntu, and they've made drastic changes over the past year (from my own observations of watching Alex mess with Flash in Linux to actually getting it to work in Ubuntu myself), so I can't agree with you on this point.<br/><br/>2nd point: Sure, security is always an issue, but that doesn't mean we need to pigeon-hole ourselves into having an offline desktop with a hard drive encased in a nickel-plated steel lock box, it simply means we need to put more attention on security. I wouldn't trust putting my financial information on Google Finance (it's not a web app yet, but since I said it here...) but give it some time and eventually, I would hope, security will be the same, if not better, for web applications as it is desktop applications. <br/><br/>3rd point: agreed. If I update my web app, the world knows it without having to install the latest version. Of course, we're assuming that Apollo doesn't automatically do this ...<br/><br/>4th point: because Google on your phone is so great? Seriously, all web apps on a portable device sux0r at this point in time. If I had the choice between using Google on my phone for directions, or asking some guy with a hockey mask and a chainsaw, i'd go with the hockey mask. <br/><br/>5th point: isn't Apollo simply using these web technologies, though? At first glance, I think Apollo will be extremely lightweight, in the sense that it's using a SDK to propagate desktop applications created with HTML/Ajax/etc<br/><br/>6th point: Java was closed up until a year ago, and that didn't hinder them a bit. Given the general trend to OSS things nowadays, though, I think it's only a matter of time before Apollo opens their source to the public as well. (if it doesn't die)<br/><br/><br/>(sorry for the sloppy response, pressed for time) 1st point: being behind a version, and simply not providing support, are two totally different things. Sure, Flash is sometimes buggy in Linux, but look at the percentage of users in Windows/OSX compared to Linux Desktops, then tell me with a straight face that you want more attention towards Flash compatibility for Linux Desktop users. Also, Flash works wonderfully for me in Ubuntu, and they’ve made drastic changes over the past year (from my own observations of watching Alex mess with Flash in Linux to actually getting it to work in Ubuntu myself), so I can’t agree with you on this point.

2nd point: Sure, security is always an issue, but that doesn’t mean we need to pigeon-hole ourselves into having an offline desktop with a hard drive encased in a nickel-plated steel lock box, it simply means we need to put more attention on security. I wouldn’t trust putting my financial information on Google Finance (it’s not a web app yet, but since I said it here…) but give it some time and eventually, I would hope, security will be the same, if not better, for web applications as it is desktop applications.

3rd point: agreed. If I update my web app, the world knows it without having to install the latest version. Of course, we’re assuming that Apollo doesn’t automatically do this …

4th point: because Google on your phone is so great? Seriously, all web apps on a portable device sux0r at this point in time. If I had the choice between using Google on my phone for directions, or asking some guy with a hockey mask and a chainsaw, i’d go with the hockey mask.

5th point: isn’t Apollo simply using these web technologies, though? At first glance, I think Apollo will be extremely lightweight, in the sense that it’s using a SDK to propagate desktop applications created with HTML/Ajax/etc

6th point: Java was closed up until a year ago, and that didn’t hinder them a bit. Given the general trend to OSS things nowadays, though, I think it’s only a matter of time before Apollo opens their source to the public as well. (if it doesn’t die)

(sorry for the sloppy response, pressed for time)

]]> By: John Dowdell http://ipurbia.com/2007/03/apollo-please-abort-this-mission.html/comment-page-1#comment-13 John Dowdell Tue, 20 Mar 2007 19:43:00 +0000 http://ipurbia.com/?p=53#comment-13 Hi Clint, I'm curious, do you see some difference between (the unexamined) Apollo's grading on your six parameters, and the use of the Meebo messaging SWF on your webpage here?<br/><br/>Understanding this apparent paradox would help me reply more effectively, thanks.<br/><br/>jd/adobe Hi Clint, I’m curious, do you see some difference between (the unexamined) Apollo’s grading on your six parameters, and the use of the Meebo messaging SWF on your webpage here?

Understanding this apparent paradox would help me reply more effectively, thanks.

jd/adobe

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