Microsoft, Adobe competition heats up
SEATTLE - It has not escaped Microsoft’s attention that some of the coolest sites on the Web — YouTube and MySpace included — get much of their flash from Flash and other design programs sold by Adobe Systems Inc.
But as Microsoft Corp. gets ready to ship its own line of tools for designers and Web developers, the world’s largest software maker finds it must also defend against Adobe on its home turf, the desktop. At the same time, the line between Internet and desktop programs is blurring — and both companies see an opportunity to capture new business.
- Full Article @ GMANews.TV
Expression Studio, eh? I’m on the fence with this one.
One is that it promises to be standards compliant, especially for their Web development applications. This is a good thing, and could also mean their browser will be upgraded to *actually* follow the standards. I just hope it means the actual web standards and not their own. It also promises that anyone can now have the ability to edit photos, launch web pages etc. easier using a familiar interface. And they will make it easier for people to create desktop applications, which is cool.
What I am iffy of is, it’ll just be for Windows users. What about us who have recently converted to Macs? Adobe still has the market for *literally* everyone– Windows, Mac and Linux users.
From the same article:
In the end, this round may come down to whether designers and Web developers will invest the time it takes to learn Microsoft’s tools and put up with an end product that only works on Windows.
[...]
“Even though the Mac users and Linux users might be a small percentage, they’re a percentage nonetheless,” [Greg] Storey said. “I would much rather make it so that more people can see my work than fewer people can see it.”
I’m going to wait and see for this, to check if Expression *is* easy, standards compliant and not much of a resource hogger. I’m still for Adobe for this round though, especially since they have been at this for a longer time than Microsoft and know their users who are designers well enough to give them what they want. (Wow, that was long.)
What do you think?
