The whole Java world is ablaze with excitement about Rich Internet Applications (RIAs). The hot debate is over whether Java is even relevant on the desktop anymore and if it isn't, what is the dominant platform for Internet aware desktop applications going to be? Much of the discussion revolves around Adobe's Flex and AIR products. I admit, I just don't get AIR.
I get Flex. If you want a rich application that's going to be trapped inside a Web browser, Flex makes sense. Flash is deployed everywhere, playse nice with browsers, and makes a nice Domain Specific Language for a rich web front-end. But once you leave the confines of the browser, why restrict yourself to Web technologies?
According to Adobe, "Adobe AIR uses the same proven, cost-effective technologies used to build web applications, so development and deployment is rapid and low risk." I think we've collectively hit our noggins and have development amnesia. Web development is not cost-effective, rapid, or low risk. It's much, much harder than GUI development was ten years ago using tools like VB or Delphi. Developers constantly switch gears between the multiple languages needed (HTML, JavaScript, XML, CSS, Java) and we have to suffer the incredible limitations exposed by the stateless HTTP protocol. Is it possible that the current crop of developers is unaware that there is a better way to develop desktop applications than by using locally installed HTML, JavaScript and Flex? Certainly a whole generation of developers has only been exposed to Web development. Developers like these will be temporarily more productive using Web technologies to build desktop applications but the savings will quickly be eclipsed by the hours of lost productivity that could be gained by using native desktop tools like VB, .NET, Matisse, or even plain old C++. Not to mention missed opportunities for true desktop integration with things like the Windows system tray.
Take a few minutes to learn how to develop a desktop application using desktop technology. It really is much much faster.
