Same emotional ride here plus more (flash component developer).
If Macromedia wants to get programmers on board to Flex Builder they
need to make it an attractive price. We have already spent and invested
time, money and more to get to the level where we are at. Even if they
set the price (say $1000 or $600) is what it's worth, you would still
put off many of the people that might want to embrace it because it is
too steep a jump for those that just purchased Flash 8 or Macromedia
Studio. Like the XBOX and Playstation and all the consoles, they may
need to do something to get people on board especially the people that
have supported them and rallied for Flash for so long.
Best Regards,
Judah Frangipane
JesterXL wrote:
You've hit most of the Flash to Flex emotional ride. You appear to be on
frustration.
Here are the phases:
- indifference
- exploration
- contemplation
- understanding of segmentation
- frustration
- renewal
- decision
To elaborate, one hear's about Flex. Sounds interesting, but they aren't
sure what it's about. Their curiosity is destroyed when they hear about the
price. Some has been re-kindled by the preliminary price announcement as
well as all the Flex 2 announcments.
You learn and explore what Flex is all about, what it has that Flash does
not. You comprehend how to develop Flex apps.
You contemplate how would this apply to you? To your current target work
market? Do you build apps or souped-up functional websites? Games? Where
does Flex fit?
You then the see the segmentation of Flex and Flash's goals. Flex
originally got the enterprise developers on board, and is now taking the
rest of the programmers with it al la Flex 2. Flash 8 glaringly points out
the difference when you compare the two.
You get frustrated; wtf? 15,000k + a server requirement for 3 year-old
components? This isn't fair! Do they not care about the people who got
them here? Hell, the AJAX'ers stole OUR MONIKER!
Renewal, which thankfully came about via Flex 2's annoucement, is the
attainable price range, with features that are marketable vs. workflows that
are desriable for a developer but hard to sell as ROI. Both Flex and
ActionScript projects are supported, the speed is way up to par, the new
features are tight, and the language is sweet... and you can play and give
feedback before it's even released.
Decision; what to do?
A looooong time ago, Nigel tried to predict what this meant for Flash
Developers:
http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/flex/articles/flash_perspective.html
There are existing markets that will embrace this, others shun, and new
markets will be created.
Where do you fit in? THAT is the real question, not what an RIA is, but
what will we make an RIA become?
--
"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any
one thing."
"You can have anything you want - if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, do anything you set out to accomplish if you hold to that desire with singleness of purpose."
- Abraham Lincoln
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