Microsoft and Macromedia?

blue2kdaveblue2kdave
Posted:
in Mac Software edited January 2014
The <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/28667.html"; target="_blank">rumors</a> of Microsoft buying Macromedia are popping up again. God I hope this doesn't happen. I work with Dreamweaver, Fireworks, and Flash. While the first two are replaceable, the last is not. Flash has many detractors, but it is emerging as a very cool development platform. I would hate to think how MS would screw it up with all of their propreitary BS.



Thoughts?



[ 12-23-2002: Message edited by: blue2kdave ]</p>

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 10
    ringoringo Posts: 329member
    Fireworks and DreamWeaver may be replacable, but not without a signifigant productivity hit. DreamWeaver is the only WYSIWYG editor I've ever used that lets me code without screwing it up. And FireWorks is simply godlike when you want to make web graphics. Also, don't forget the millions of other MM products that would go a long with it like ColdFusion and Director.
  • Reply 2 of 10
    cindercinder Posts: 381member
    It won?t happen.



    It better not happen.



    If it does, it could drastically alter the web for the worse forever.



    Expect Dreamweaver to get axxed or turn into Frontpage MX, complete with absolutely horrible code.

    Expect ColdFusion to get instantly axxed, thrown into the garbage.



    What about Director?

    What about Freehand?





    Seriously ? that would mean that absolutely, unequivocally, totally ? Microsoft would single-handedly own every single useful software application and file format out there ? minus Photoshop and Illustrator.



    The WWW would become the WWM
  • Reply 3 of 10
    blue2kdaveblue2kdave Posts: 652member
    [quote]Originally posted by cinder:

    <strong>If it does, it could drastically alter the web for the worse forever.



    Seriously ? that would mean that absolutely, unequivocally, totally ? Microsoft would single-handedly own every single useful software application and file format out there ? minus Photoshop and Illustrator.</strong><hr></blockquote>





    i know, this is what is really creeping me out. everytime I think MS may be deflated they turn around and seem invincible.



    sigh.
  • Reply 4 of 10
    nebcon65nebcon65 Posts: 47member
    I derive a lot of my livelyhood from Macromedia products. This would be extremely bad. Considering that Microsoft hates standards unless they control all or a good bit of the development of them and that they hate cross platform software and open source software even more, I think you can expect the following.



    1. Cold Fusion is gone. No selling it off to someone else.



    2. Freehand will languish and eventually be dumped.



    3. Mac support will dwindle to non-existent over time.



    4. Quicktime support and support of Flash within Quicktime will suffer the quickest death. Replaced with WMF with all the bloated DRM crap. along with all the lack of ineractivity and rich file format support.



    5. Any open source swf efforts will be cut off.



    6. Flash and Director will support .NET only.



    7. Fireworks will probably stay but will be stagnant.



    8. Dreamweaver will probably become as was mentioned above "Front PageMX". Accessability will suck, the interface will suck and the code will both suck and blow at the same time which I can hardly believe is possible but this is MS.



    [ 12-24-2002: Message edited by: nebcon65 ]</p>
  • Reply 5 of 10
    bartobarto Posts: 2,246member
    Well, TheReg posted the rumor which means it won't happen.
  • Reply 6 of 10
    satchmosatchmo Posts: 2,699member
    Don't you sometimes wonder why Apple doesn't buy out Macromedia?

    Didn't Apple recently snap up some high end graphic software firms and movie related making software?



    If they bought out the key web-based tools of Macromedia and make all of it's products Mac only (or Mac- Centric) and I'm sure we'll see more "switchers".
  • Reply 7 of 10
    producerproducer Posts: 283member
    Yes Apple should buy Macromedia...the question is if they did how much would that piss of Adobe....If Apple owned both macromedia and merged with Adobe they would have alot more leverage with Microsoft....
  • Reply 8 of 10
    browncowbrowncow Posts: 50member
    Actually, this probably will happen... There has been talk about wheeling and dealing like this going on in SF for the past 6 mos.



    And yes, you will be kissing Flash for the Mac goodbye...



    But that may give rise to other SVG open source solutions that are better.



    Who knows. Apple is a mitigated platform, anyways. It is just a matter of time before some major deal kills it.



    MM is a very anti-mac company in the first place. They have been that way since 1999. That is why Flash and DW are both superior on the PC platform.



    Sorry to be negative, but those are the market facts...



    [ 12-26-2002: Message edited by: browncow ]</p>
  • Reply 9 of 10
    bigbluebigblue Posts: 341member
    I think that this buyout will give too much power (even more) to M$. I mean M$, wich has that much dominance already, would buy a company that will give them near *absolute* power.

    Mmm ... antitrust, anyone ? I think they got a case.
  • Reply 10 of 10
    the pie manthe pie man Posts: 425member
    This rumor gives me cold sweats. I wrote about it about three months ago in <a href="http://forums.appleinsider.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=3&t=001499"; target="_blank">this thread</a> and I seeing it come up again makes me sick.



    I too use MM products daily, and I simply couldn't continue to use them if Microsoft bought them out - I think the quality will go straight to H311.



    The article mentions the fact that MM is pretty snuggly with IBM and Sun - I would like to think they might be opposed to a buyout by Microsoft, but unfortunately the applications MM makes seem pretty far removed from the core competencies these companies have.



    Ugly rumor. I really hope it doesn't come true.
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