Is Google Gears (an open source browser extension that enables web applications to provide offline functionality using JavaScript API) a competitor to Adobe AIR? According to the google website http://gears.google.com/
It will let you:
- Store and serve application resources locally
- Store data locally in a fully-searchable relational database
- Run asynchronous Javascript to improve application responsiveness
Hmm let's hope the competition helps improve AIR even more!
On top of that, is that AIR not only brings Flash/Flex/AS3 based programs to the desktop but even 100% AJAX based programs.
Adobe AIR makes desktop applications. It doesn't live in a browser. But it also provides local SQLite database support.
Both use SQLite, and I understand there's work underway to reconcile the interfaces. The goal is to be able to use similar syntax whether working in a Gears-enhanced browser, or working on the desktop with Adobe AIR.
jd/adobe
Maybe the three companies are hoping to make Microsoft compete on product-quality some day vs. playing monopolistic games.
Keep in mind, this is what I think I know. The usual rumor-watching / speculative disclaimers apply.
Mike.