Brajeshwar

If you remember Macromedia Central, you’d definitely say that Apollo is an extremely smart hairpin-turn technology make-over. Of the many change including the license, one of the most striking is that of the visual chrome; well, there is no chrome in Apollo. Apollo is a stateless framework that can adapt to what the developer wishes. One can change Apollo Applications to mimic the nature, style and behavior of the application running it.

Apollo Applications are very unlike of the traditional and conventional Desktop Applications where they either forms part of the Operating System or have its own restrictive environment. Apollo Applications runs just like your regular Desktop Applications, are Platform Independent (runs on Windows and Mac – Linux version should be coming soon I guess) and are Brand-proof.

Apollo is the code name for a cross-operating system runtime being developed by Adobe that allows developers to leverage their existing web development skills (Flash, Flex, HTML, JavaScript, Ajax) to build and deploy rich Internet applications (RIAs) to the desktop.

Apollo enables developers to create applications that combine the benefits of web applications – network and user connectivity, rich media content, ease of development, and broad reach – with the strengths of desktop applications – application interactions, local resource access, personal settings, powerful functionality, and rich interactive experiences. Apollo will support File API, based on Flash Player 9, Windowing API, HTML within Flash based content, Apollo specific Flex components, Drag & Drop.

Apollo relies on ActionScript 3.0 and Flash Player 9. HTML, Javascript and CSS are handled by Webkit, the open source browser engine behind Apple Safari, Apple Dashboard widget and the Nokia S60 browser. Apollo also supports PDF.

Downloads

• Apollo Runtime for Win and Mac
• Apollo Developer’s SDK (You’ll need an Adobe Account)
• You can also download a zipped html version of the Apollo Alpha 1 Documentation and the Apollo Extension for Flex Builder from the above Download URL.

Apollo demos & applications

• San Dimas, an experimental Apollo powered project from the eBay Developers and EffectiveUI.
• FineTune
• Apollo Showcase
• My Flickr Photos tagged Apollo

Apollo articles

• Apollo – the next Killer App?
• Get you Apollo Wallpapers
• Adobe Apollo, beyond the Hype by Niall Kennedy
• Apollo Developer FAQ
• Apollo Documentation

UPDATES

• 2007 March 30 — Mike Chambers explains what Apollo is, and what problems it is trying to solve.