Adobe AIR vs. Apache Flex vs. Microsoft Silverlight

I would recommend [Adobe AIR] because it works very well, I just wish there were more resources out there on it to help the onboarding.

Incentivized

Apache Flex is an open-source SDK used to make rich Internet applications. It's developed with Action Script and MXML and works particularly well with Android and iOS ecosystems. Any flash-based application framework, such as Eclipse or the Flash above Builder, can be used to implement this. Free is best for mobile app developers, but suppose you have concerns, and consider Apache Flex's development team welcomes any questions via email.

Incentivized

The Silverlight plug-in means developers can target a single, consistent runtime for browser-based apps, rather than working with the complexity of multiple browsers in different versions. You also get video and multimedia effects that are hard or impossible with pure HTML and JavaScript, though Adobe Systems' Flash has the same advantages.

Incentivized

• Adobe AIR supports a lot of commonly needed features for mobile app development.
• It is fairly stable and consistent once you learn how to use it.
• It is cross-platform and is supported by some useful third-party plugins.

Incentivized

• Runs on flash (at the time this was handy, not so much now. hah).
• Good support from the company.
• Ability to run offline.

Incentivized

• Easy to implement
• No need for additional frameworks on client side
• Out of browser capabilities

Incentivized

• Over the course of months/years, various security exploits and other issues are discovered and patched in AIR, often requiring you to rebuild and resubmit mobile apps to the various storefronts. This happens often enough that it's worth mentioning as a major con.
• While development on Adobe AIR seems to be fairly constant, there is very little communication between the community and Adobe regarding the future and general support of AIR. The track record of Flash (and particularly Flash Mobile) does not inspire much confidence that Adobe intends to support Flash/AIR for years to come.
• Adobe AIR does not seem to perform as well (in terms of raw performance, memory usage, framerates, responsiveness, etc.) as other hybrid solutions for certain tasks. For example using shaders tends to be experimental still, and graphic/animation intensive projects often require the use of third party frameworks such as Starling.

Incentivized

• It's heavy as it needs to load the Flash plugin first before rendering anything to the user.
• Not future ready as there is no support for mobile and tablet platforms.

Incentivized

• No longer being supported
• No upkeep with ria services
• Be nice to work in a modern browser

Incentivized

Although Adobe AIR is just an SDK without an actual "UI" it's commonly used within Flash, Flash Builder, or FlashDevelop. Considering the integration with Flash IDE, there are very few tools that can compete with its features.

Incentivized

Originally, Adobe AIR was the only game in town, and its blend of flexibility in platforms it could publish to (PC, Mac, iOS, Android), ease of use, and familiarity made it the clear choice. Now Adobe no longer supports it, and we’ve found the transition to Harmon unworkable for us.

Incentivized

Apache Flex is a modern, standards-based programming language that supports common design patterns. It's an open-source SDK used to make rich Internet applications that work on different browsers and platforms. Any flash-based application framework, such as Eclipse or the Flash above Builder, can be used to implement this. So far, in comparison, it's much more crucial, especially for people working in fields like mobile development.

Incentivized

Microsoft Silverlight allows more adaptability and it integrates well with our products across the company. Adobe Flash crashes or doesn't work with our shipping campus.

Incentivized

• Allows easy porting of functionality and look and feel to many diverse platforms.
• Shorten development and deployment time.
• Reduced training and support costs by re-using common widgets.

Incentivized

• Positive: Easy to learn if you already knew AS.
• Negative: Too heavy on flash knowledge (I know it's contradictory, but it was a plus & a minus).
• ROI was great since it saves time on multiple devices compiling.

Incentivized

• Increased lecture delivery
• Improved academic experience
• Less A/V tech support and delay