Microsoft’s Acrylic Joins the Fray
Microsoft has launched a preview version of what will eventually 
emerge as competition to Flash. Microsoft purchased the software package Acrylic back in 2003 (when it was called Creature House Expression), and they’ve re-tooled it to fit into the new vector-based operating environment planned for Windows Vista. Demo videos are available on the preview page, but we’re not seeing any animation yet. So far, Arcylic looks a lot like Adobe Illustrator, but you can bet that’s due to change.
It’s hard to say when Microsoft will officially launch it’s attack on Flash, but it appears this is no longer a rumor. Forest Key, Microsoft developer product manager, had this to say, “By having tools with professional-level capability, there will be some overlap with Adobe/Macromedia.”
Adobe/Macromedia is surely up for a fight, but Microsoft’s entry into this market is further validation that Flash is something unique and powerful.
August 16th, 2005 at 10:19 am
Expression was great. Its what I always wanted Flash to be like. Those brushes and a timeline would be perfect.
August 16th, 2005 at 4:21 pm
Microsoft launched their attack on Flash in 1997 when they purchased another software package called Liquid Motion. Anyone remember that? I didn’t think so. Maybe this time around, they’ll keep the project alive long enough that it will actually compete.
August 19th, 2005 at 10:28 am
Remember the people at Creature House who originally created Expression also had an animation program called Living Cels. So it would seem they at least have something to build on.