
Focusing on the next Linux client - revorad
http://blogs.adobe.com/open/2011/06/focusing-on-the-next-linux-client.html
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ch0wn
> So, with Desktop Linux, we see a basically flat growth

> curve hovering around 1%. And since the release of AIR,

> we’ve seen only a 0.5% download share for desktop Linux.

AIR is horrible under Linux. The last time I checked it, hardly any
application was working, functionality like sound and transparency did not
work (even though a compositing manager was active) and it required your _root
password_ if you wanted to install an app.

~~~
logicalmike
Balsamiq Mockups has worked perfectly fine for over two years on my Ubuntu
install.

~~~
balsamiq
Speaking of Mockups: we now require Air 2.5, and we don't have short or mid-
term plans to switch to requiring 2.7. So I'd say we're good for a while...by
the time we'll make the switch there will probably be a new 3rd party distro
of Air for Linux that we can leverage.

Peldi

~~~
alfet
That's awesome. Balsamiq with YNAB are the only applications I use (that
requiere Adobe Air that is).

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scrrr
1% of all desktop installations might just as well be 10% of all desktop
installations by professionals that use their computer for creating things,
though. Assuming it were so: Wouldn't that be reason enough for Adobe to
target Ubuntu & Co.?

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mattj
This doesn't make any sense. Android IS linux, but only at the lowest level.
Given their logic, I'm surprised they're not launching FreeBSD support, cause,
you know, iOS runs darwin, which has a bsd subsystem.

That being said, re-focusing on js & css output seems like a winning combo.

~~~
samstokes
They're making a snarky point about how silly Linux users are to use an
operating system that doesn't have a large market share, and using that to
justify dropping Linux support.

So, nothing new here.

~~~
Teckla
Dropping Linux support _does_ seem like a good business decision.

All that extra work to support an additional 0.5% to 1% of the market does not
seem worth it.

~~~
samstokes
It's the attitude I was taking issue with, not the decision.

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simbateman
The real problem here is not about the people using Air on linux, its about
the big companies that use linux as their continuous integration platform.
Those companies will not be able to use Air in the development strategy, even
though they might have deployed the app to thousands of windows and mac users.

<http://www.simb.net/2011/06/15/adobe-abandons-air-for-linux/>

~~~
SoftwareMaven
If you believe AIR is the right place to deploy your application, I can't
believe too many shops are going to say "I can't run my build on Linux so
rewrite the app (or choose a different technology for the new app)."

More likely, there will be some grumbling from current Linux users as they are
forced to migrate to a Mac or Windows (probably more likely, even though the
Mac is closer to the previous solution) server, then nothing else will be said
and nothing will change.

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mrschwabe
An Adobe partnership with Canonical to help make Ubuntu a viable mobile OS
competitor to Android would have been far more innovative, intelligent, and
superior long term business strategy.

Because virtual platforms like Flash and AIR are doomed when they are subject
to the iron fist of Apple, Microsoft, and Google. Only a true open platform
(not quasi-Google open) is a safe home for them.

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xdie
Honestly,my first thought was, ``What is Adobe AIR?'' Doesn't sound like much
of a loss.

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sylvinus
I love how there's not one mention of Flash in the article :)

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gallerytungsten
Outlined type for body copy on a web page? Are you kidding, Adobe?

