AIR: Adobe Integrated Runtime

AIR: Adobe Integrated Runtime

Some products have already pownced on this still-beta framework. And, I think with good reason. AIR can utilize any mix of HTML / JavaScript / Ajax / Flash / Flex development resources in order to deliver cross-OS desktop applications.

AIR has similarities to XULRunner. AIR is a runtime, like Java J2RE that needs to be installed onto the client's machine. The difference here is that while Mozilla and Sun may be household names to any geek with a computer, they still don't have quite the same name recognition that Adobe has with "normal" users due to their products (Flash and Acrobat). So the potential adoption curve of AIR is far greater.

AIR is beautiful. Flash content means superior anti-aliasing, and makes it far easier to animate your application. Even the installer is pretty.

If AIR gets even a quarter of the traction that Flash or Adobe gets, AIR is going to be very attractive, very fast. At that point, I see a lot of incentive for fat-client web applications to port their application if for no other reason than to eliminate the many, many pains of cross-browser support.