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March
2002 -
Volume 1, Issue 2
Flash
MX
Flash MX is
a collection of tools for creating Web pages and applications. It
comes with Flash Player 6, a new version of the free application
that resides on PCs to display Flash content. Flash Player is a
free download, while you have to purchase Flash MX.
Flash MX is
available in versions for Windows and Mac, including support for
Mac OS X, the latest version of Apple Computer's operating system.
This is the
fourth version of Flash to come out with a completely new interface.
This just makes the learning curve much steeper. Developers are
going to have to focus on learning a new application.
An array
of additional features
Besides expanded tools for delivering Web applications, major additions
in Flash MX include:
· Modules that allow Web designers to automatically optimize
content for handheld computers, mobile phones and other devices.
· A built-in media player, that will display videos as part
of Flash-created Web pages. "Users are able to play video and
still be in the Flash environment so the video becomes part of the
overall experience. That contrasts with standalone video players
such as RealNetworks' RealPlayer and Microsoft's Windows Media Player.
· Prefab user interface components that will free designers
from having to write code for scroll bars, list boxes and other
common Web page elements.
The promised
results include business Web sites that will be substantially easier
for customers to navigate and cheaper for businesses to maintain.
Faster loading,
easier transactions
Much of Macromedia's case for the new Flash centers on usability--that
Web pages and applications designed entirely in Flash will load
faster, work more reliably and make it easier for customers to transact
business.
For example, it's intended to eliminate page refreshes. Users will
be able to continue to browse a site even while the Web page processes
credit card information and other data.
The usability
argument is somewhat ironic, given that Flash has been identified
as a key culprit in bad Web design, enabling pages of blinking text
and galloping images that do little more than consume bandwidth.
The new version
of Flash addresses some usability concerns that plagued pages written
entirely in Flash, such as the need to create scroll bars and other
common page elements from scratch. Flash MX has pre-built page components
that designers can drop into a page, allowing for more consistent
user interfaces.
An edge on
the Competition
The ubiquity of the Flash player on PCs has made it hard for would-be
competitors to gain any ground. Adobe Systems has positioned its
LiveMotion animation tool as an enhancement of--rather than a replacement
for--Flash. Web sites now often combine HTML for static elements,
Flash for animation and Java for applications.
Hard-to-navigate
Web forms are freaking people out and pushing customers away from
e-commerce sites. Flash-designed pages and applications will help
businesses retain customers and provide direct savings. Because
Flash doesn't have to redraw a whole page just to refresh credit
card data, for example, server loads can be dramatically reduced.
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