Nearly everyday I see something new on the web that is innovative and pushing the boundaries. Whether it be a funky web design, a powerful graphic, or something more technical, it is apparent that the users experience on the web is forever changing. Not that we didn't all know that, but with the rapid adoption of Ajax technologies in the past few years, the Internet has seen a vast number of new technologies aimed at bridging the gap between the web experience and general desktop use.
I have been using some form of instance messaging for as long as I can remember, and they have always been just a communication tool. It wasn't until I saw twhirl, a twitter desktop client, that I saw these types of tools in a whole new light. There is hardly anything technically different about twhirl, but it is its look that sets it apart from other tools that provide the same functionality. I first saw twhirl in use on a Mac machine, and so I just assumed it was a Mac application and hence why it looked so creative. But imagine if any developer could produce something just as creative for any machine.
Twhirl is powered by Adobe Air. This new application allows anyone from a Flash to a Flex to even an Ajax developer to all use the same tool to create desktop applications. For someone who is used to working in Flash it is a common issue of always having to be cautious of the file size of the project. And from a designers point of view, it can be very constricting having to work on a square workspace. Adobe AIR allows us to work with the same Flash projects, but without so many restrictions. It also means that the Flash application created will work across different platforms.
I am currently working on a flash game and one of the main concerns that is never far from my mind is download issues and speed of the actual game for users. Adobe AIR has opened up the opportunity for me as a flash developer to create this game as a desktop application without having to use a different programming language. Even if the client does not currently want a desktop application, being able to present it to them as an option adds value to the whole customer experience. And if the client is happy, then the project is sure to run much smoother.
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