Freedom of AIR!!!

Hi,

I just got back from an outstation wedding. But for workaholics like me, there seldom is pleasure without work. And so was the case this time. Though my laptop is my constant companion, what frustrates me is I have no access to my PC data when I am traveling. And again, when I am offline, I am cut off from the web data.
And I can see you nod in affirmation!

As I sulked, thinking about how I will endure this dilemma, I almost rubbed my eyes when I stumbled upon a piece about AIR, short for Adobe Integrated Runtime, a software development system by Adobe that will power potentially tens of thousands of applications that merge the Internet and the PC, as well as blur the distinctions between PCs and new computing devices like smart phones.

AIR is the brainchild of Kevin Lynch, a San Francisco based software developer, who I guess would have been bugged enough by the ordeal of living in the catch 22 situation that worked his brains to get something like this out.

AIR is a value addition and builds on the Flash multimedia software that engines the Web animations, e-commerce sites and many streaming videos. The company claims that it is the most ubiquitous software on earth, residing on almost all Internet-connected personal computers.

But I wonder if it will be that useful for all the users. Like most people may not even know about AIR. Applications will look and run the same… it would not really be any different whether the user is at his desk or his portable computer, and soon when using a mobile device or at an Internet kiosk. In the near future, applications will increasingly be built with routine access to all the Web’s information and a user’s files will be accessible whether at home or traveling.

Yeah, AIR sure will come as a boon to the software developers and help them create applications that exist in part on a user’s PC and in part on servers reachable through the Internet. The AIR applications are capable of mimicking the functions of a Web browser but do not require a Web browser to run.

From what I hear, this so called revolution to step beyond PC-based applications is slated to raise the mercury in the coming times. Intel is all set to introduce its low-cost “Netbook” computer strategy that aims to unleash a new wave of inexpensive wireless connected mobile computers. The new machines will come with relatively small amount of solid state disk storage capacity and will increasingly rely on data stored on Internet servers.
To ad to the buzz, many small developers like OpenLazlo and Xcerion are creating web operating systems intended to move applications and data off the PC desktop and into the Internet through the Web browser.


Mozilla, the developer of the Firefox Web browser, has created a system known as Prism in addition to its XUL and XULRunner. Sun Microsystems introduced JavaFX this year, which is also aimed at blurring the Web-desktop line. Google is testing a system called Gears that intends to allow some Web services to work on computers that are not connected to the Internet.
Finally, there is Microsoft. It is pushing its competitor to Flash, called Silverlight. But then, Silverlight is a browser plug-in where as AIR is a desktop runtime. So a direct collision is avoided there.

Well with all these superpowers ready to take on the battlefield, there is but one winner! And that is you and me, the consumer!! With a range of applications to choose from without compromising on any data, I am getting ready for a vacation. What are you up to?

Byeee