This week Microsoft announced part of its plans for Silverlight, a browser-based technology that brings higher quality video and potentially richer browser interaction to Windows and the Mac.
What about Linux support? So far, there isn’t any in the current Silverlight community builds. Don Dodge tries to answer the question as to why Linux was left out of this announcement in a response to a question on his blog:
“Does Linux have meaningful market share on the desktop? My guess is around 2% but I really don’t know. Server share is another matter of course. But, when releasing desktop software companies need to think about support costs for multiple OS…and market share.”
I have seen references elsewhere on the Internet from Silverlight team members that other platforms and devices are being considered. I hope they are.
My guess is that the decision to not support Linux up to this point is a business one, like Don suggests. I’ve been in a couple startups that had to make similar decisions. Engineering plays a role in how cross-platform/cross-browser to make a new product, but the decisions often come down to business opportunity, needs, and practicalities. I hope the engineers–or at least one engineer–doesn’t take the business thinking too seriously though and leaves the door wide open for Linux support or decides to ask for forgiveness and implements it anyway.
I think Microsoft would do much better with Linux support–or at least a demonstrated commitment to it–out of the gate. That’s what the web world expects.
Here’s the problem with Don’s number theory: When it comes to the Net, the Linux folks have a disproportionate voice. It’s a voice with quite a few early adopters. It’s a voice aligned with some major websites. To ignore these customers–and yes, even Linux enthusiasts are or at least can be Microsoft customers–is a mistake and signals to me that someone doesn’t get it.
Here’s what I would do if I were Microsoft, between now and Mix07 (where Microsoft says more details about Silverlight will be announced), I’d do all I could to at least get a Linux demo going if not a CTP. It would be OK if a Linux CTP is on a separate track than the current Silverlight CTPs, but demonstrating something, releasing something, is far better than indirectly suggesting that Linux might be supported, sometime.