Re: Where is the web going, graphically?

At 05:07 13/02/00 -0500, H. G. Quinn wrote:
>In particular, I was musing about where Flash would be in a couple of 
>years.  Right now,
>it's been delivered to a vast number of clients, either by being packaged 
>with a
>browser, or via a download.  Developers are now developing Flash content 
>that is small
>yet effective visually.  It seems to offer lots of design 
>possibilities.  Will it still
>be here in 3 years?  Adobe, who has deeper pockets than Macromedia, has 
>announced a
>Flash competitor.  Will Macromedia survive?  Will their vision and focus, 
>so far
>unsullied, survive?

I certainly wouldn't want to be trying to out-guess Macromedia.  They seem 
to be about the only company that realises that web site design needs to be 
a team effort nowadays.  They have build their tools with a significant 
amount of overlap, but also a significant degree of interaction.  It is 
this interaction between applications that makes their products more valuable.

The next major release should bring Drumbeat into line with Dreamweaver and 
Fireworks and simplify ecommerce.  As for Flash, it's solidly grounded in 
the success of Director, virtually an industry standard for software 
programmers.  The future of the web may diverge to incorporate a number on 
non-graphical devices, but there will always be a visual component and thus 
a need for Flash (or its successor, whatever it develops into).

I think the strategic purchases and partnerships Macromedia has made will 
ensure its continued viability.  Their current track record showing 7 
consecutive quarters of growth also indicates they are on the right track.


Chris Higgs <c.higgs(at)landfood.unimelb.edu.au>
Institute of Land and Food Resources
University of Melbourne http://www.landfood.unimelb.edu.au

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