Category: Reviews

Adobe Air is an application that allows for the viewing of the integration of multi media like Flash, Ajax and other applications with data, but on your desktop and not tied to your browser and works on multiple operating systems.

Just like a Flash plug-in an Adobe Air plug-in is needed to view applications built using Adobe Flex.  Although it is hard to wrap your head around exactly how Adobe Air is different from things like Flash or Shockwave, the big difference is that Adobe Air allows you to use the technology in free standing downloadable applications that are not tied to a browser. Adobe Air integrates the very best of multi media and interactivity through some of the newest web technologies, but not only the Web now on your desktop.

Although Adobe Air is not a hot property on the Web for browsing consumers at this point, it is a hot property for developers and being used as the backbone for new applications that are in the works.

Here’s a link to the Adobe.com website that showcases one Adobe Air product that was built for NASDAQ that will help you to understand what Adobe Air does. Built with Adobe Flex but played with Adobe Air this new breed of applications is coming and is sure to change the way you view and interact with data online and offline in the very near future.

Ever since Microsoft Vista has come out it has had problems. Problems like phantom crashes, inability to read ink levels in older printers and pre-Vista software doesn’t always seem to work. Printer drivers are a large problem because Vista will not display the printer tool box so you can never tell what your ink levels are. You’re always sitting there thinking, “should I give it one more try or throw out the ink and run the possibility of throwing out half the container?”

Even the Enterprise systems are having trouble. Their workers are unable to log onto the Intranet system. I have seen first hand this problem from military persons I know. Since the Navy has not upgraded the systems to be Vista compatible, Navy reservists who use Vista at home are unable to log onto their accounts from home. One officer I know personally has to run two machines one for Vista and one for XP.

Now, I on the other hand have had minimal problems with Microsoft Vista. I have a newer printer so all my printer drivers’ work perfectly. I, too, have had problems with some older programs I have running on Vista. Some don’t work and some barely work or crash when loading. Some even cause my computer to crash and it takes a few moments to recover. But these are only a few problems. I feel the good out ways the bad with Vista.

I happen to be a college student and at school we have all the latest and greatest software, including Microsoft Vista. I enjoy having the sidebar so I can check on the weather in the morning and when I’m just sitting at my computer I always have the slide show going on in my sidebar. It’s also nice because I use it to keep track of my CPU usage as well as my RAM usage.

Vista’s  file management system has been improved. Microsoft Vista gives you many options where you can now store your files with one click including Pictures, Downloads, Music, etc. instead of just the My Documents folder. None the less, my favorite part of Vista would have to be its beautiful layout with shadows and the invisible windows edge.

There seems to be no middle of the road when it comes to Vista, you either love it or you hate it. I for one love it!