ACM TechNews

Flash, HTML, Ajax: Which Will Win the Web App War?

CNet (08/11/08) Shankland, Stephen

Despite the proliferation and increasing richness of Web applications, a dominant underlying Web app technology has yet to emerge. Adobe Systems' Kevin Hoyt anticipates the coexistence of hypertext markup language (HTML), Adobe's Flash, and JavaScript, but predicts that "you'll continue to see a high degree of flux for probably the next several years." One of HTML's biggest advantages is its pervasiveness, and Zimbra engineering director Kevin Henrikson believes JavaScript will be employed in 10 times the number of Flash apps that are rolled out. Conversely, Microsoft thinks programmers would be best served by jettisoning HTML and JavaScript once Web apps start getting rich. HTML, JavaScript, and Ajax's biggest booster is possibly Google, which is, among other things, attempting to bolster the HTML camp through the open-source Gears project. Gears' features include offline access to Web applications such as Google's Web-based word processor, improved MySpace search, and faster blog posting via WordPress. Adoption of Gears by major services could inspire installation and support by Web site operators, and Google's Sundar Pichai says wide adoption could be fueled by products such as Gmail. The advantages of Flash and its new competitor, Silverlight, include support for audio and video streaming, and Darrin Massena, CTO of startup Picnik, lauds Flash's role in photo editing. Flash Player Version 10, currently in beta version 2, includes features such as 3D graphics, special effects, and improved video streaming, hardware-accelerated graphics, and text control.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10011048-92.html

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