http://www.microsoft.com/silverlight/faq.aspx
What is Silverlight?
Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in
for delivering the next generation of Microsoft
.NETâ??based media experiences and rich interactive
applications for the Web.
Is Silverlight free?
Yes, Microsoft will make the Silverlight browser
plug-in freely available for all supported platforms.
What is the long-term goal or vision for Silverlight?
Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in
for delivering the next generation of .NET-based media
experiences and rich interactive applications (RIAs)
for the Web. Silverlight offers a flexible programming
model that supports AJAX, Visual Basic .NET, C#,
Python, and Ruby and integrates with existing Web
applications. Silverlight media capabilities include
fast, cost-effective delivery of high-quality audio
and video to all major browsers including Mozilla
Firefox, Apple Safari, and Windows Internet Explorer
running on Mac OS or Microsoft Windows. By using
Microsoft Expression Studio and Microsoft Visual
Studio, designers and developers can collaborate more
effectively using the skills they have today to light
up the Web of tomorrow.
Here's the catch: it appears "supported platforms" are Windows and
MacOSX only.
http://www.microsoft.com/silverlight/downloads.aspx
A MacWorld puff piece:
http://www.macworld.com/news/2007/04/16/silverlight/index.php
Formerly code-named WPF/E, Silverlight is targeted at
content providers who want to distribute video and rich
media on the Web and designers and developers working
with interactive applications. The software works
on the Mac using either Mozilla Firefox or Appleâ??s
own Safari Web browser. On Windows, it also supports
Microsoftâ??s Internet Explorer 7.
Already Microsoft has signed up some major players
to distribute Silverlight content, including Akamai
Technologies, Brightcove, Eyeblaster, Major League
Baseball and Netflix.
[...]
Flash has â??some video capabilities, and some success
in that market,â?? Key said. But Silverlight offers
â??better video quality than Flash,â?? while the
Expression tools will be â??cheaper, faster and
betterâ?? than Adobeâ??s offerings, he claimed.
There's its raison d'etre.
There is some good news:
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;822653743;fp;4;fpid;1968336438
suggests that Microsoft has released the source code, though
the license is the Microsoft Permissive License, not GPL.
How restrictive that is, I don't know.
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#191, ewill3@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
fortune: not found
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