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NewsStroustrup on next-gen C++: I didn't want to let go of my baby Pin
Terrence Dorsey13-Dec-12 11:17
sitebuilderTerrence Dorsey13-Dec-12 11:17 
GeneralRe: Stroustrup on next-gen C++: I didn't want to let go of my baby Pin
wout de zeeuw13-Dec-12 22:44
wout de zeeuw13-Dec-12 22:44 
NewsMore Code, More Problems Pin
Terrence Dorsey13-Dec-12 11:16
sitebuilderTerrence Dorsey13-Dec-12 11:16 
GeneralRe: More Code, More Problems Pin
PIEBALDconsult13-Dec-12 17:12
mvePIEBALDconsult13-Dec-12 17:12 
NewsA Security-Focused HTTP Primer Pin
Terrence Dorsey13-Dec-12 11:16
sitebuilderTerrence Dorsey13-Dec-12 11:16 
NewsAnnouncing Visual Studio Achievements For Windows 8 App Development Pin
Terrence Dorsey13-Dec-12 11:16
sitebuilderTerrence Dorsey13-Dec-12 11:16 
News10 Things Silverlight Devs Need to Know About the Windows Runtime Pin
Terrence Dorsey13-Dec-12 11:15
sitebuilderTerrence Dorsey13-Dec-12 11:15 
GeneralRe: 10 Things Silverlight Devs Need to Know About the Windows Runtime Pin
RobTeixeira13-Dec-12 12:28
RobTeixeira13-Dec-12 12:28 
You aren't the only one confused by this. MS (particularly the Win8 team) has done an incredibly hideous job of messaging, and an equally hideous job of defining Windows 8 (which is actually two operating systems). I'll try my best to explain.

Windows 8 is actually two operating systems duct-taped together. One is the "Desktop" OS, which for all intents and purposes is Windows 7. It runs just like Windows 7 (minus the Start Bar), and is fully backwards compatible with all the code and plug-ins (including Silverlight) that you used before Windows 8.

The other side of the OS is what people sort of called "Metro". But we can no longer call it that because MS found out that "Metro" was already trademarked. There is effectively no good name for it now (apps for this part of the OS are now loosely called Windows Store Apps rather than Metro apps, for example). This part of the OS is exposed as WinRT or Windows RT. It is brand new code that has little to do with old Windows, and includes all the consumer-ish UI bits, like live tiles, charms, touch gestures etc.

When you buy Windows 8 on a PC (or for a PC), you get both sides of the OS installed. If you run the newer Windows Store Apps, they are launched from the tiles screen and run in WinRT. If you try to run old Windows apps, they run in "Desktop" mode, even though you will probably be launching them from the tiles screen too.

If you get Windows 8 on a mobile device powered by an ARM chip, you only get the new WinRT side of the OS (no Desktop mode).

So, if you attempt to create a new Windows Store App (WinRT application) in .NET, part of it will feel familiar because WinRT apps also use XAML to define the user interface (just like WPF and Silverlight did). However, there are some WinRT quirks in the runtime, like most operations being asynchronous, that force developers of WinRT apps to learn some things that are not so similar to older Silverlight or WPF apps.

As for the second question, about whether or not Silverlight is alive or dead... it sort of depends who you ask, and what platform you are targetting. Steve Jobs effectively killed plug-ins on mobile devices. After he decided that iOS would not allow plug-ins for mobile app devices, most other mobile producers followed suit (including MS). Silverlight requires a plug-in to run, so it's effectively been killed from most new mobile platforms.

Windows Phone 7 was trying to force all apps to be Silverlight, but Win 8 Phone is now all WinRT, and will *not* be supporting Silverlight.

Silverlight will still run in Windows Desktop mode, but if you have the full desktop capabilities available, then Silverlight is probably not the best technology to use, especially because it will no longer run on other platforms. If you writing apps for Windows itself, then you're probably better off with WPF (in desktop mode) or WinRT Apps. If you want a more universal run-everywhere technology, people are migrating to HTML5 because that's the only thing that will run across most mobile devices as well as desktops and laptops.

So basically, the areas where Silverlight will still operate have narrowed, and the areas where Silverlight provides a clear advantage have all but disappeared. When you add the rumors and rumblings about what's going on with Silverlight development within MS, it's clear that most reasonable people feel that if it's not exactly dead, it's on life support.
NewsN. Joseph Woodland, Inventor of the Bar Code, Dies at 91 Pin
Terrence Dorsey13-Dec-12 9:54
sitebuilderTerrence Dorsey13-Dec-12 9:54 
GeneralRe: N. Joseph Woodland, Inventor of the Bar Code, Dies at 91 Pin
Brisingr Aerowing13-Dec-12 15:32
professionalBrisingr Aerowing13-Dec-12 15:32 
NewsTen Reasons Why Internet Explorer 10 is Best for Business Pin
Terrence Dorsey13-Dec-12 9:54
sitebuilderTerrence Dorsey13-Dec-12 9:54 
GeneralRe: Ten Reasons Why Internet Explorer 10 is Best for Business Pin
Dan Neely14-Dec-12 2:38
Dan Neely14-Dec-12 2:38 
GeneralRe: Ten Reasons Why Internet Explorer 10 is Best for Business Pin
ed welch14-Dec-12 7:26
ed welch14-Dec-12 7:26 
NewsThe Mathematical Hacker Pin
Terrence Dorsey13-Dec-12 9:54
sitebuilderTerrence Dorsey13-Dec-12 9:54 
GeneralRe: The Mathematical Hacker Pin
Matt T Heffron13-Dec-12 13:12
professionalMatt T Heffron13-Dec-12 13:12 
NewsThe $100 tablet challenge Pin
Terrence Dorsey13-Dec-12 9:53
sitebuilderTerrence Dorsey13-Dec-12 9:53 
NewsGoogle Maps for iPhone shows Apple how to do mapping right Pin
Terrence Dorsey13-Dec-12 9:53
sitebuilderTerrence Dorsey13-Dec-12 9:53 
NewsWho reviews Linux kernel commits? Pin
Terrence Dorsey12-Dec-12 13:16
sitebuilderTerrence Dorsey12-Dec-12 13:16 
NewsTop 10 Uses For A Message Queue Pin
Terrence Dorsey12-Dec-12 13:16
sitebuilderTerrence Dorsey12-Dec-12 13:16 
NewsHow to Hack and Not Get Caught Pin
Terrence Dorsey12-Dec-12 13:15
sitebuilderTerrence Dorsey12-Dec-12 13:15 
NewsJeff's Top 5 XAML Tools Pin
Terrence Dorsey12-Dec-12 13:15
sitebuilderTerrence Dorsey12-Dec-12 13:15 
GeneralRe: Jeff's Top 5 XAML Tools Pin
Pete O'Hanlon13-Dec-12 10:59
mvePete O'Hanlon13-Dec-12 10:59 
NewsYour C# App on 66 Million Macs: Announcing Xamarin.Mac Pin
Terrence Dorsey12-Dec-12 13:14
sitebuilderTerrence Dorsey12-Dec-12 13:14 
NewsAn IPV6 Flood Attack Affects Mac OS X and Windows Server Pin
Terrence Dorsey12-Dec-12 10:45
sitebuilderTerrence Dorsey12-Dec-12 10:45 
NewsInternet Explorer vulnerability lets hackers track your mouse movements Pin
Terrence Dorsey12-Dec-12 10:44
sitebuilderTerrence Dorsey12-Dec-12 10:44 

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