Why WPF/E?
I see the occasional post, such as this one, asking why Microsoft is doing WPF/E. The poster asks:
"Someone explain to me how this technology (which has yet to be released and proven) can do anything that the Flash Platform can't (do better)? Fill text with video? Come on..."
Part of the confusion here is the POV of the writer. WPF/E came about not as a "me too" but as the result of candid conversations with Microsoft customers. When I talk to customers including developers and CTOs that are using or entrenched in Microsoft technologies, they want to know when they'll be able to leverage their WMV assets consistently on the web across major platforms and browsers. They ask when they'll be able to use their Microsoft developer skill sets (including C# and XAML) to create experiences that extend beyond the desktop. They want to know if or when Microsoft will provide a richer web development experience that integrates well with their current JavaScript and HTML model. So at the core, WPF/E is about something fundamentally different than a "me too" technology - it's about providing a continuum for developers/designers/CTOs across the full Microsoft developer/designer product offering. Note that the value of WPF/E extends beyond the Microsoft developer as we've tried to make it easy and approachable for a broad range of users and scenarios but first and foremost it must be consistent with other Microsoft product offerings. Obviously, this is not something the Flash Platform can or should be.
