Comments on: Macromedia.onDemand

By: Henry Minsky

Henry Minsky — Tue, 29 Jul 2003 20:02:55 +0000

Take a look at http://www.laszlosystems.com

We make a development platform which lets you write applications in an XML/Javascript language, and it compiles them to the Flash runtime engine.

This allows you to write pretty general desktop or window-system sorts of applications, but run them in browsers just like Flash movies.

Macromedia is scrambling to produce a product which works in a similar way (Royale) but it is not released yet.

By: Phillip Kerman

Phillip Kerman — Thu, 22 May 2003 08:10:59 +0000

I think the history is Authorware turned into the neglected step child first, then Director. In any event as a user you should stay agile and roll with the punches.

Authorware happens to be a great application. While Flash somehow appeals to novice programmer types… Authorware is really powerful and many visual people can crank out really effective applications with very little time invested learning. I’ve taught Authorware since version 1.7–whenever that was.

Director… well, it doesn’t take as much to explain because people have a more recent memory of this. It too is extremely powerful.

Whatever, Flash is the basket where Macromedia is putting its eggs.

onDemand, breeze, flashcom breeze. I spend a good deal of my time just keeping up. I hope MM doesn’t lose people with too much.

Phillip

By: JesterXL

JesterXL — Wed, 21 May 2003 22:12:51 +0000

Yeah, it is pretty lame. People who lament about Authorware getting the cold shoulder sound just like Director people. It’s bleh because I love Director, so we have common ground. Both sides of the developer fence espouse Director/Authorware as rocking in their daily job.

By: Brian

Brian — Wed, 21 May 2003 22:01:48 +0000

Authorware is still around and pretty cool since you can now integrate Flash MX with it. I use Authorware daily for e-Learning and it’s pretty powerful and easy once you get used to it’s ways. Too bad that MM seems to be ignoring it in their e-Learning strategies….

By: JesterXL

JesterXL — Wed, 21 May 2003 21:38:48 +0000

Do you have the Authorware web player installed? I don’t. I think they are pushing Flash as their client-frontend and then utilizing server products to produce whatever prog/presentation they need and outputting to Flash. Flash, Central, ColdFusion Remoting, Breeze, Royale, On Demand… it all points to Flash in some manner.

I never made it past the timeline in Authorware… I got excited because I heard you could use Lingo like Director as well as Xtras. That idea died quick when a project was due.