No GYM #2: Laszlo comes out with a new rich Web-based email system

Flash has been around for a long time. The main problem with Flash based web offerings is the size. It just takes way too long to load. But with broadband coming in everywhere, I guess this is going to be less of a problem. Flash is cross-platform too. I wonder what effect this will have AJAX/Atlas based designs.

As Dileepa said there are all these new technologies like AJAX but we sometimes forget that other things out there might work just as well. Flash should be able to give a richer, more user friendly, experience to the end user.

And of course you don’t need to worry about catering for every single version / combonation of browser out there.

I would expect Flash applications to start growing in use now that more end users have the speedy connections required to access these.

I don’t see what I would want to use this kind of system. Flash is especially good on performance and I don’t see that this system does anything that OWA (or an increasing number of conventional webmail systems) can’t do.

Even over my broadband connection the demo of the service didn’t load especially fast — I’d hate to have to wait for a flash ad to load every time I wanted to check my e-mail or dash off a quick message to somebody.

-B-

Hmmm…I must be tired. I meant to say I don’t see “WHY” (not what) I would want to use this system and that Flash is NOT especially good on performance.

Lastly it says “flash ad” but I meant “Flash app”.

Weird.

-B-

Just what we need, animated spam sequences that go on for 5 mins, and take you that long to find the “Skip Intro” button!

Ben: loaded in about 3 seconds for me at home and at work. Perhaps your broadband could stand to be a bit broader? (my at home is 1-2MB/s, but usually clocks in around 250kB/s)

Mikataur: 5 mins? Hardly. The content flies in and after a few seconds its done. Plus, this is an ad and demo for the webmail, not the actual webmail. Of course they will be marketing it. And where was this skip intro button you speak of, hm? Were we even looking at the same page?

“The main problem with Flash based web offerings is the size. It just takes way too long to load.”

No, not for comparable content. Logic loads faster, and sequential media displays faster.

“I’d hate to have to wait for a flash ad to load every time I wanted to check my e-mail or dash off a quick message to somebody.”

The word “flash” there is optional, oui?

“Just what we need, animated spam sequences that go on for 5 mins, and take you that long to find the ‘Skip Intro’ button!”

… and then, if the Killer Bees suddenly get infected with Avian Flu, and stow away in some cargo on a plane coming to our fair city, and if I’m walking past the airport that same day, then…!