Adobe Brings Web Apps to the Desktop

March 20, 2007: Adobe has released the first public alpha version of its new Apollo development tool, an engine used to create rich web applications that run on the desktop without the use of a browser.

The software development kit (SDK) enables small applications similar to Apple’s “Widgets” and Microsoft’s “Gadgets” to be created, however, Adobe’s vision goes beyond fetching data from an internet server. Apollo enables applications to access data on a local drive, the internet and integrate with other applications.

The company says that with Apollo, applications can be launched directly from the desktop and interacted with offline and when a network connection is available, newly created or changed content can seamlessly synchronise.

“RIAs have become a core element of today’s web computing experience. We’re working to enable this new generation of innovative applications to bridge the chasm between the web and the personal computer. Apollo will empower millions of web developers to make their RIAs first-class citizens on the desktop using the tools they already know,” said Kevin Lynch, senior vice president and chief software architect at Adobe.

“With this alpha release, we’re continuing our collaborative effort with the community of developers and designers to further evolve how the world engages with ideas and information. We can’t wait to see what the community will create in this new medium.”

Developers won’t have to invest time in learning new skills either, as they can put existing skills in HTML, JavaScript and Ajax, as well as Adobe Flash and Adobe Flex to good use in Apollo.

The company also says that upcoming versions of Apollo will integrate PDF, run on Linux, include deeper Ajax support and eventually leverage mobile technologies. The alpha release of Apollo is available now on Adobe’s website.

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