A while back I posted my manifesto for a “dynamic web-browser”, a custom operating-system application for web-applications. Apparently Adobe heard me (or rather, they already had this under development years ago) because today they launched an alpha of their new Apollo runtime. They even promoed an Ebay application that works very much like my fictional Amazon application.

The alpha SDK is really rough around the edges (I’m staring at the unpacked files wondering what the hell I’m supposed to do with them — PLEASE, someone post a nice tutorial :)), but there’s a lot of promise there. Especially if it gives web-developers a more natural foray into the operating-system.

Still though, I think they ripped me off

Adobe Labs - Apollo

Apollo is the code name for the much hyped Adobe cross-operating system. It allows developers to build RIA (Rich Internet Applications) for the desktop, using the development platform of their choice. A key value proposition of the new technology, according to Adobe, is the ability for developers to create desktop applications in a fraction of the time they’re used to. Using Apollo developers can build applications using HTML, JavaScript, Flash, Flex and Ajax. Adobe’s goal is to redefine the Internet application and how it interacts with the browser - and vice-versa. (source)