Microsoft Expression Blend review

The future

These are major drawbacks, but should prove temporary since, with the launch of Expression Studio, Microsoft also launched its Silverlight beta. Silverlight is a cut-down subset of XAML and .NET that will be viewable cross-platform and cross-browser, and can take on Flash head-to-head in terms of page-based deployment and universal access. The next version of Expression Blend - and Expression Web - will support Silverlight authoring and it's this release that existing web developers will want to weigh up.

The future certainly looks exciting, but this first release of Expression Blend already offers plenty of groundbreaking power. For current desktop application developers and designers, it's a great way of enhancing your workflow efficiency, your deployment options and, most importantly, the quality of your work. Perhaps most impressive of all, Expression Blend achieves all this while making the new RIA authoring process visual, simple, creatively satisfying and downright enjoyable.

Author: Tom Arah