The document compares Adobe Flex and Microsoft Silverlight platforms, outlining their features, tools, and compatibility. It discusses runtime sizes, market penetration, and various development tools available for each platform, as well as their capabilities in handling video delivery and server-side data services. Key resources and links for further information about both platforms are also provided.

1. Adobe is from Mars, Microsoft is from Uranus Jun Heider, esq. & Dr. Eric Fickes

2. Who we are Jun Heider Web: http://www.iheartair.com Email: jun@realeyes.com Twitter: @coderjun Eric Fickes Twitter: @ericfickes

3. What to expect Flex talk @ 200 level Silverlight/MS talk @ 100 level Fuzzy comparison between Flex v3 and v4 and Silverlight v3 and v4

4. BACKGROUND Runtimes

5. Runtimes Flash Player Version 10 Release (10.1 in beta) Runtime installer size: Windows: ~1.8 MB (v10) Mac: ~5.7 MB (v10) Market Penetration: 90%+ Silverlight Version 3 Release (4 in beta) Runtime installer size: Windows: ~4.7 MB (v3) Mac: ~8.7 MB (v3) Market Penetration: 50%+

6. Runtimes Flash Player Backward compatible all the way back to the first version JIT compiler since version 9. Runs SWF files Silverlight Silverlight 3 player not backward compatible with previous content. Silverlight 4 player will be backward compatible with version 3. JIT compiler coming with version 4. Runs XAP files

7. BACKGROUND Languages

8. Languages Flex MXML ActionScript Silverlight XAML (Extensible Application Markup Language) .NET C# VB.NET IronRuby IronPython

9. BACKGROUND Tooling/Workflow

10. Tooling/Workflow Flex Platform Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator/Fireworks Adobe Flash Catalyst ( beta for Flex 4 ) Flash Builder OR Some text editor + Flex SDK for FREE Silverlight Platform Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator Sketchflow Expression Blend Visual Studio 2008 sp 1 + OR Visual Web Developer Express + Silverlight SDK for FREE

11. Tooling/Workflow Flex Platform Flex 4: Round trip between Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator and Flash Catalyst Flex 4: One way from Flash Catalyst to Flash Builder (Out of the box) Use the main dev tools on Windows and Mac Silverlight Platform Round trip between Expression Blend and Visual Studio Use the main dev tools on Windows only …

12. DEMONSTRATION Tooling/Workflow

13. BACKGROUND SDK/Features

14. Components Flex Platform Extensive Access to Source Code Good Number of 3 rd Party Silverlight Platform Extensive Access to Source Code Good Number of 3 rd Party

15. Features Flex Platform Data Binding Event Handling Layout Navigation ( View states, View Stacks) Controls DataGrid Data Visualization Styling Silverlight Platform Data Binding Event Handling Layout Navigation (Silverlight Navigation Framework) Controls DataGrid Data Visualization Theming

16. Features Flex Platform Camera and Microphone Offline DRM support ( Adobe AIR ) Peer-assisted Networking – P2P ( Flash Player 10+ and Stratus ) Printing Support Right -to-leftText ( Flash Player 10+Flex 4 ) HTML hosting ( Adobe AIR ) Silverlight Platform Camera and Microphone ( Silverlight 4 ) Offline DRM support ( Silverlight 4 ) Multicast Streaming ( Silverlight 4 ) Printing Support ( Silverlight 4 ) Right-to-left Text ( Silverlight 4 ) HTML Hosting ( Silverlight 4 )

17. Remote Access Flex Platform HTTP Socket Web Services Remoting Silverlight Platform HTTP Sockets Web Services WCF (Windows Communication Foundation)

18. Local Access Flex Platform Read Upload Shared Object Read/Write ( Adobe AIR ) Sqlite ( Adobe AIR ) Silverlight Platform Read Read/Write XML/Plain Text Read/Write local file system ( Silverlight 4 ) Hardware device access ( Silverlight 4 )

19. THOUGHTS ON CLIENT-SIDE AND TOOLING Flex/Silverlight

20. Flex Platform Great workflow (esp. with Catalyst) Easy to build UI Remoting config tricky Data services dance similar to SL side Silverlight Platform Great workflow with great round tripping Confusing UI development Confusing development with code-behind Designer quirky Data services super easy

21. DEMONSTRATION SDK/Features

22. BACKGROUND Video Delivery

23. Video Prep Flex Platform File types (FLV, F4V) Encoder: Adobe Media Encoder, Rhozet Carbon Coder (FMES), Flash Media Live Encoder DRM Available? YES, Flash Access Silverlight Platform File types (WMV, F4V) Encoding: Expression Media Encoder DRM Available? YES

24. Video Delivery Flex Platform Adobe Flash Media Server Progressive download or streaming Smooth streaming: Multi-bitrate HD Video (1080p) Secure streaming Live streaming Bit rate throttling Edge servers Silverlight Platform Microsoft IIS Microsoft IIS Media Services Progressive download or streaming Microsoft IIS Smooth Streaming Services: Multi-bitrate HD Video (720p+) Live Streaming Bit rate throttling Edge Servers

25. BACKGROUND Server-side

26. Data Services ColdFusion 9 Flash Remoting! Binary and Soap services .NET Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) services Binary and Soap services

27. Web Services ColdFusion 9 Build your CFC Import WSDL Your SOAP web service is now fully proxied and ready to code .NET Code your Web Service Test in browser! Add Service Reference in SL project Your service is proxied and ready to code

28. Data Access Layer ColdFusion 9 CF 9 has ORM, it’s Hibernate! Enable in Application.cfc Map your DB via .cfc or manual .hbmxml Get your query on! .NET .NET 3.5’s ORM is ADO.NET Entity Framework Map your DB via wizard ( or by hand ) Your DB tables are now “Entities” Get your LINQ to SQL on!

29. THOUGHTS ON SERVER-SIDE Flex/Silverlight

30. Thoughts CF9 CF9 is the best update since 4.5 Love CF9, CFSCRIPT is getting better .NET .NET is powerfully difficult, as always Love C#, don’t love ASP.NET

31. DEMONSTRATION Server-side

32. Conclusion Flex and it’s platform FTW!

33. Resources Adobe Flex Platform: Main/Flex 3: http://www.adobe.com/products/flex Flex 4: http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/flex4sdk Samples: http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flex/tourdeflex ColdFusion 9: http://www.adobe.com/products/coldfusion FMS: http://www.adobe.com/products/flashmediaserver

34. Resources Microsoft Silverlight Platform: Main: http://silverlight.net Silverlight 3: http://silverlight.net/getstarted Silverlight 4: http://silverlight.net/getstarted/silverlight-4-beta Toolkit and Samples: http://silverlight.codeplex.com WCF: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/netframework/aa663324.aspx IIS Media: http://www.iis.net/media

35. Resources Misc: http://www.riastats.com Install the AIR app from the 360 Flex USB drive We have a bunch of links that we’ll be posting to delicious: http://delicious.com/compilersband/flexsilverlightpresentation

36. Thanks! Any more questions?