Microsoft may bring Silverlight to Android

15 October 2008 by Staff Editor

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Microsoft’s Internet application browser plugin, Silverlight, may soon be coming to Android-powered handsets. Silverlight is the direct competitor of Adobe’s Flash. Seeing Silverlight or Flash on the next Android would really hurt Apple because the iPhone 3G currently has neither.

Microsoft’s Scott Guthrie told TechRadar.com “[The] Google phone is slightly different [from the iPhone]. It’s more of an open platform, that is something we’re going to continue to look at. Certainly as it’s gotten deployed and if sales are good we’ll definitely keep our eyes out and look at that in the future.”

For reasons still unknown Apple made a potentially bad decision to keep Adobe’s Flash plugin as well as Microsoft’s Silverlight off of the iPhone. Many iPhone owners cannot look beyond the fact that, despite how advanced the phone is, it still lacks Flash support. If Android-powered handsets see Silverlight or flash before the iPhone, it could possibly hurt iPhone sales in the future.

[Via TechRadar]

Join the Discussion (33 comments)

MrGibbage

10-15-2008 12:50 PM

Remind me... is there is or is there isn't flash support (built in or third party) available now for the G1? If not, how close are we? And really, just how big is Silverlight? Seriously, I don't know of a single site outside of the MS domain that uses it.
probigeorge11

10-15-2008 12:51 PM

out of the box there is no flash support
probigeorge11

10-15-2008 12:51 PM

last i heard silverlight is on the outs, lot of websites dropping it for flash
RussianSolja

10-15-2008 01:26 PM

A FLASH Plug-In? That's Fantastic News!!!! Now We Will Be Able To Take Web-Browsing To A Whole New Level!!!! I LOVE THE ANDROID!!! (Not To Mention Streaming Video's Off Other Sites Other Then YouTube.)
refused9150

10-15-2008 01:26 PM

It is a Microsoft product.
ggreeenwood33

10-15-2008 01:29 PM

not to bring anyone down or start something... but why would microsoft create something for android?

probigeorge11

10-15-2008 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RussianSolja

A FLASH Plug-In? That's Fantastic News!!!! Now We Will Be Able To Take Web-Browsing To A Whole New Level!!!! I LOVE THE ANDROID!!! (Not To Mention Streaming Video's Off Other Sites Other Then YouTube.)

not a flash plugin

MrGibbage

10-15-2008 01:32 PM

That's a darn good question that has me puzzled too ???
MattyMatt5481

10-15-2008 01:35 PM

silverlight is in no way flash compatible, is it?
probigeorge11

10-15-2008 01:36 PM

no its a completely diff player
vbreal

10-15-2008 01:49 PM

this will be a bust

adobe will do something i am sure of it.

they already got it ready for the iphone.

android usies the same webkit that the iphone does.

so just sit back and wait for adobe to do its thing.
happyandyv

10-15-2008 02:00 PM

Sure would be nice to have true full web function...

probigeorge11

10-15-2008 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vbreal

this will be a bust

adobe will do something i am sure of it.

they already got it ready for the iphone.

android usies the same webkit that the iphone does.

so just sit back and wait for adobe to do its thing.

yeah in a weeks time some developer will have this ready for us.........they better

Message

10-15-2008 02:06 PM

Silverlight was used by NBC during the Olympics and it looked very, very good. Of course it's not as widespread as Flash, but I heard that MS has exclusive deals with several content providers on the web so it may become more popular in the future. The bottom line is it can't hurt to have it, especially since the iPhone doesn't. If this is true, hopefully it will motivate Adobe as well.
MattyMatt5481

10-15-2008 02:49 PM

does android support java? if it does, and its the same web browser on the iphone, i saw a video on how to get flash onto the iphone which may help us.

probigeorge11

10-15-2008 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattyMatt5481

does android support java? if it does, and its the same web browser on the iphone, i saw a video on how to get flash onto the iphone which may help us.

yes it does support javascript but that iphone flash trick would probably not work on the g1 seeing as they are different os's

MattyMatt5481

10-15-2008 03:01 PM

hey, a guy can dream, i wish someone would try it out and see if it worked
probigeorge11

10-15-2008 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattyMatt5481

hey, a guy can dream, i wish someone would try it out and see if it worked

or have some genious create an app that supports all video formats.....thats a dream
MattyMatt5481

10-15-2008 03:12 PM

I wish it would work because I have a friend who does the whole "lifecasting" thing, just caught up with her after a couple of years. she moved to japan from NYC and I havent talked to her in the longest time, there's a chat and a cam on her site and from what i see, it takes flash to run them both
probigeorge11

10-15-2008 03:13 PM

yeah it would be great for porn too haha
MattyMatt5481

10-15-2008 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by probigeorge11

yeah it would be great for porn too haha

yes it would
doomcomplex

10-15-2008 03:19 PM

Someone asked why Microsoft would develop anything for Android, since Android is a competing OS. The answer's pretty simple: Microsoft wants people to use Silverlight, but it hasn't caught on. If MS can get Silverlight onto the Android before Flash, it'll increase their market for Silverlight.

secrecyguy

10-15-2008 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Message

Silverlight was used by NBC during the Olympics and it looked very, very good. Of course it's not as widespread as Flash, but I heard that MS has exclusive deals with several content providers on the web so it may become more popular in the future. The bottom line is it can't hurt to have it, especially since the iPhone doesn't. If this is true, hopefully it will motivate Adobe as well.

I hope it does get Adobe to make a Flash player for the Android.

secrecyguy

10-15-2008 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doomcomplex

Someone asked why Microsoft would develop anything for Android, since Android is a competing OS. The answer's pretty simple: Microsoft wants people to use Silverlight, but it hasn't caught on. If MS can get Silverlight onto the Android before Flash, it'll increase their market for Silverlight.

Oh... that does make sense now...

JAWheat411

10-15-2008 05:25 PM

I have actually never seen anything using Silverlight.
And I think myself as a computer/internet advanced user.
mwenn1

10-15-2008 05:29 PM

Microsoft uses a lot of silverlight, and if you watched any of the olympics online you saw silverlight. The site was done with all silverlight, hopefully the g1 will show both flash and silverlight soon.
richard

10-15-2008 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrGibbage

And really, just how big is Silverlight? Seriously, I don't know of a single site outside of the MS domain that uses it.

Silverlight 2.0 isn't out yet. Once it is, I think it's going to be pretty big. I'm doing Silverlight development for a client of mine right now, and you can do some really awesome stuff with it. We've done some testing with streaming media over an EDGE connection to mobile devices and the picture quality is great. If Android developers get anything like what us .NET devs have to work with, you'll see some great stuff, for sure...

refused9150

10-15-2008 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richard

Silverlight 2.0 isn't out yet. Once it is, I think it's going to be pretty big. I'm doing Silverlight development for a client of mine right now, and you can do some really awesome stuff with it. We've done some testing with streaming media over an EDGE connection to mobile devices and the picture quality is great. If Android developers get anything like what us .NET devs have to work with, you'll see some great stuff, for sure...

I believe it came out yesterday.

RussianSolja

10-15-2008 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by probigeorge11

not a flash plugin

well its something to that effect.
richard

10-15-2008 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by refused9150

I believe it came out yesterday.

You are correct! My client will be stoked, we've been holding off a few releases from production because of it being beta. It will be interesting to see where it goes from here.
dosz

10-16-2008 02:29 PM

i really dont care which 1 comes to the android first.. aslong as i can watch videos on myspace and other stuff or is there a big different between them?
Big Al

10-16-2008 02:33 PM

Lol, true. Anyone will do, as long as one of them comes and it works.
Atean

10-20-2008 04:46 PM

Im really not too impressed with what I've seen from Silverlight.

From a user's point-of-view....

It's no-where near ground-breaking... I'd rather have flash support than Silverlight support ANY day.

Atleast youtube will be available at launch... But I would really enjoy me some Flash for other sites.