Whilst we understand the reasons behind Apple’s decision, we cannot ignore the opportunity that presents itself. That opportunity is Google’s Android platform and Apple may have given its rival a new set of fans with a point to prove.

It is clear that Steve Jobs would like to keep all eyes trained on his HTML 5 vs Flash smokescreen argument. HTML 5 is just being implemented and it simply cannot deliver all the functionality of Flash, though it can be used to deliver media in ways that Flash does – like audio and video. But Flash is much more than that. Just like the argument is not HTML 5 vs Flash but Apple vs Cross Platform tools that include Flash, but also include tools like Runrev, REALbasic and Unity.

The absence of such a high-level IDE is an opportunity for competing platforms. And, given the lack of windowing, the iPhone OS seems like a far better platform for something HyperCard-esque than the Mac ever was.

With Gruber’s previous support and blessing from Steve Jobs himself on his Apple positive stance on changes to the iPhone SDK, it is interesting that he makes even this statement. Since his DaringFireball blog doesn’t allow for comments, it is not clear to what extent his support for cross platform tools means. The dialog is intense over on Slashdot, with the topic remaining a top page affair even today. I think even the loyalties of some long time Mac OS focused vendors and developers are getting tested as developers realize that the issue isn’t Apple vs Flash or the red herring of Flash vs HTML 5, but Apple vs Cross Platform Development and Apple vs Developers.

I convinced Ruslan to port his early release to work with REALbasic, in what I believe was the first third party database for REALbasic. It took some work, because Ruslan was already familiar with the few development tools supporting the Macintosh, and REALbasic was a relative unknown.

Since those dot com years, Ruslan and I formed Paradigma Software Incorporated and Proactive International parted ways with REAL Software. I can’t remember the last time I saw a box of REALbasic anywhere.

Paradigma continues to support REALbasic to date, though the recent rumblings in the REALbasic user community cause us quite a bit of concern. Bob Keeney is a long time REALbasic developer and manages the Association of REALbasic Professionals, and he’s concerned about the state of REALbasic. Christian over at Pariah Software also has some concerns as well. They both lament the poor third party support, and Christian details the number of cancelations of REALbasic oriented events. I also recall there being some staffing shrinkage in the last 12 months as well at REAL Software.

Paradigma Software is going to continue across the board support for REALbasic in 2010.  You can connect to  Valentina Office Server, Valentina Embedded Server and local databases using the VClient for REALbasic. Plus, Valentina Reports will continue to be available for REALbasic users. Supporting REALbasic has not been an easy task over the most recent years as Paradigma Software has been treated as a competitor than as a (third party supporting) partner by REAL Software.

Being a Valentina developer also means you can easily reuse your database investment with almost every other cross platform tool on the market. For web applications, you have PHP and Ruby on Rails. For client-server, or local applications – its an open field with Valentina: Runrev (aka Runtime Revolution), .net (C# and other CLR languages), Adobe Director, Visual C++, Xcode/C++, Xcode/Objective-C/Cocoa, COM and more – even iPhone – every major environment on Linux, Mac OS X and Windows.

At the end of the day – it is about how you treat your data, and Paradigma Software customers know that. We’ve spent a good portion of 2009 working on fixing and improving the things our customers ask us about, and added additional staff as a result. There will be another solid release in 2009 that will be very welcome by our customers.

Well – there is one fix, and that is to change your development environment. The more you rely either on very portable, non-development specific SQL or utilize the cross-platform, cross-environment native Valentina API, the easier it is to move your front end to another development environment.

1. Cross-Platform Means Supporting Everything. Supporting native interfaces on all operating systems you claim to support as part of your cross-platform strategy.

2. Cross-Platform Means Support Only Me. Supporting no or few native interfaces but provide rough equivalents on all operating systems.

3. Cross-Platform Means Support Only the foreign interfaces your customer requires. Somewhere between 1 and 2, but appeasing only the customers you immediately have.

REAL’s strategy falls into #3. REALbasic has always been a strong player on the Mac, and unless someone tells me to contrary, its paying customer base is strongly on the Mac. That’s why the Cocoa, and why after many years of claiming Windows platform support you cannot even use Crystal Reports. Many developers I knew who started with REALbasic with REALbasic 1 through REALbasic 4 have since moved on to Objective-C programming with Apple xCode. That’s understandable since its free and REALbasic filled a much needed hole for BASIC on the Mac that was roughly equivalent to Visual Basic on Windows. However parallel to this, how many VB developers have since jumped ship to C# development?

Paradigma Software’s Valentina DB has supported REALbasic for almost a decade, but building database applications means you have to give your customer some sort of way to meaningfully display business data. That’s why we just shipped Valentina Reports.  As long as REAL follows strategy #3, its customer base on Windows will not grow significantly – not without basically giving the product away on Windows. What Valentina Reports delivers is Cross-Platform #1 – native support on every platform.

Valentina Reports for Cross Platform Applications

Paradigma Software Inc develops the ultra-fast, cross-platform database system Valentina. Valentina Reports is a new client technology that lets you play back rich, formatted reports in your application.

Features for Initial Release

• Layout Visually Rich Reports in Valentina Studio Pro Beta (free during beta period)
• Drag Query Objects into Layouts
• Organize your data into Groups
• Add layout elements such as labels, lines, vector shapes, pictures
• Pull and display pictures from databases
• HTML/Web Object pulls pages from databases or live from URL
• Support for all major development environments on Windows and Mac OS X (Linux coming)
• Exports PDF and bitmap graphics of reports
• Royalty free application deployment

Examples of supported environments include Runtime Revolution, Adobe Director, Apple xCode, .net and more.

Pricing

• $149 per technology/OS (for example, VReports for Revolution Mac OS X)
• $299 for three technology/OS (for example, VReports for Revolution Mac OS X|Linux|Windows)

Educational pricing available.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg-2-E2jaxs

Downloads

Download Valentina Reports Beta 2 and Examples and Valentina Studio Pro Beta

• Valentina Reports for Revolution (Windows)
• Valentina Studio Pro Beta (Windows)
• Valentina Studio Pro Beta (Mac OS X)

Find other beta downloads here.

The Runtime Revolution cross-platform rapid application and media project development tool can compile to the following platforms: Microsoft Windows (98SE, 2000 Pro, XP, Vista), Mac OS X PPC, Mac OS X Intel, Linux and Solaris – giving full ability to develop, test and debug cross-platform applications. In addition, it supports the building and deployment of native internet CGI solutions.

Revolution 2.9 includes the following major improvements:

Over 500 Enhancements and Fixes. With the help of over 800 testers over and a year of testing, this release incorporates over 500 improvements.

Modern Linux and Windows Architecture. The Revolution engine now supports modern Linux conventions. Also includes native appearance on Windows Vista, XP Pro and even Windows 98.

Optimized for Mac OS X Leopard, and Earlier. Build applications that look native on Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard (smooth grey) or on Mac OS X 10.4 and earlier (brushed aluminum). Also includes the 2.6.1 engine for building legacy Mac OS applications.

Improved Documentation. Nearly twice the size of previous releases, now includes more information on using databases, XML, Unicode and more.

Better Database Applications. Eight new commands supported by Database Query Builder – worry less about low level scripting.

Printing Architecture Improvements. More than 20 new and updated features make printing complex layouts significantly easier and more professional.

Improved Active Scripting with Apple, Windows, Adobe Applications. Active Scripting with the “do..as” command means you can interact with OS level scriptable applications, like Microsoft Office.

Revolution Studio 2.9 costs $399, with Revolution Enterprise 2.9 costing $999. A limited time competitive upgrade bundle – that expires April 6, 2008 – to Revolution Studio 2.9 from Real Software REALbasic or Adobe Director also includes Valentina ADK Advanced for Revolution, a free day of training at Revolution Live 2008 and Valerian Professional Icon Set – a total value of $1200.

Four years is a very long time for Director developers to wait and some may grumble that such a mature product – given four years – would be more enriched in terms of features.  Check out the attached list. While the list is short on paradigm shifting technologies – this release provides necessary improvements for creating and deploying modern applications using Adobe Director.

Paradigma Software Valentina 3.5.2 for Director 11 is the first database product with key support for Director 11 on Mac OS X on Intel, Windows Vista and Unicode. Valentina for Director is available in developer kits for building standalone applications and projectors as well as true, royalty free client-server or server-side solutions using Valentina Developer Network. With VDN, you can build shockwave-safe or standard projector interface applications and deploy these with a totally complete database server.

Adobe Director 11 Feature Set

Adobe has published a complete list of features for Adobe Director 11. See a complete list of features – features in italics are enhanced, features in bold are entirely new.

Support for more than 40 video, audio, and image file formats. Enjoy the flexibility to incorporate content in virtually every major format, including SWF; DVD-Video and other video formats; as well as the broadest range of audio and graphics formats, including bitmaps, vectors, text, and 3D.

Windows Media format support. Use the popular Windows Media format, including Windows Media Audio and Windows Media Video, within your Adobe Director® projects.

Apple QuickTime 7 support. Take advantage of QuickTime features, including support for streaming MPEG-4 video and MP3 audio.

RealMedia format support. Integrate RealMedia files, including RealVideo and RealAudio, in Director projects for Mac or Windows®.

Bitmap filters. Achieve an even wider variety of rich visual effects, including blur, drop shadow, bevel, glow, and more, with bitmap filters you can apply through the user interface or scripting.

Multiuser interactivity. Build games and other applications that allow multiple users to interact.

Enhanced Script Browser. Save time working with script-sensitive movies using the enhanced Script Browser, which provides click-and-script convenience; easy access to information about functions, events, keywords and commands; and a complete Lingo and JavaScript dictionary.

Code snippets. Get started faster creating sophisticated interactivity with code snippets that let you take advantage of Lingo and JavaScript methods without writing code.

Enhanced user interface. Do more and do it faster with an enhanced user interface that offers window docking, tabbed views, and improved management of movie assets to streamline your workflow.

Sprite and channel naming. Assign custom names to sprites and manipulate them easily without altering existing code. Move sprites and channels without modifying code, reducing scripting and editing time.

Help system. Get your questions answered fast with a comprehensive help system. Find all the information you need, including product help and Lingo and JavaScript syntax reference guides, in one convenient place.

Stage docking. Improve productivity and reduce window clutter with Stage docking.

Movie-in-a-Window docking. Enhance your workflow by docking Movie-in-a-Window (MIAW) tools with other palettes and tools.

Start page. Gain quick access to recently used files, help, and tutorials through the Start page.

Window properties. Work efficiently and quickly customize the look of your windows in Director projectors. Complex tasks, such as creating window and drag masks, are as simple as selecting a cast member in a pop-up menu.

Projector publishing panel. Reduce the time required to publish Director applications by saving projector settings on a per-project basis.

DVD-Video support. Easily integrate this popular interactive video format into your Director projects. Embed, control, and play back DVD movies with other types of media to create powerful interactive experiences.

DVD Event Manager. Trigger events, such as firing web pages or swapping cast members during DVD playback. This easy-to-use visual tool eliminates the need for the majority of DVD-related scripting and speeds the creation of sophisticated interactivity.

DVD Controller components. Quickly add DVD playback capabilities to Director projectors or Shockwave enabled web pages using prebuilt, Flash based DVD Controller components. Select from three different styles to control nearly every aspect of DVD movie navigation.

Adobe Shockwave Player. Your games, applications, eLearning courses, demos, and prototypes are customer-ready for the web thanks to popular Adobe Shockwave® Player software, available as a free download for Universal Mac and Windows platforms and already on the majority of computers worldwide.

Easy multiversion output. Broaden your market reach by authoring once and publishing across platforms and technologies, with support that ensures your application is customer-ready for virtually all computers as well as kiosks, DVDs, CDs, and the web.

Unicode support. Easily localize your games, applications, demos, training courses, and prototypes for international markets with new Unicode support.

Windows Vista support. Publish your standalone applications for virtually all Windows based computers, including those running new Windows Vista®.

Mac OS X Native Intel support. Authoring with the Mac version of Director 11 is available only for Intel® based Mac computers. The applications you create, however, can run on all PowerPC® and Intel based Macs.

Easy cross-platform projector publishing. Publish your applications for Universal Mac and Windows desktops with a single click.

Xtra plug-ins. Extend your authoring environment, as well as the playback engine, with an ever-expanding ecosystem of third-party Xtras.

Adobe product line compatibility. Take advantage of the easy workflow between Director 11 and the Adobe applications, including Adobe Photoshop®, Flash, and the entire Adobe Creative Suite® 3 family of products.

Application control. Create fully featured applications that can access, launch, and control other applications from within your Director project.

Full JavaScript support. Expand your options with full support for JavaScript syntax and compatibility with Lingo scripting.

Accessibility support. Create content that meets government accessibility guidelines — including Section 508 guidelines. Director lets you add text-to-speech, captioning, and tab-navigation features to web-based Shockwave content or standalone applications on both Windows and Mac systems.

Text to Speech. Director applications are self-voicing through the cross-platform Speech Xtra extension, which converts text to speech without a screen reader. The operating system provides voices at the system level. Create completely customizable, accessible content that doesn’t rely on screen readers. Any user with Shockwave Player and a speech engine installed (which ships standard on current operating systems) can use your accessible content.

Accessibility behaviors. Drag-and-drop behaviors let you control speech, tabbing, and item highlighting, as well as the captioning of words spoken by the Speech Xtra extension.

Internet protocol support. Import HTML text while maintaining full control of all link references, create web-based e-commerce applications with secure transactions (HTTPS) inside Shockwave, and integrate two-way communication (CGI Post).

XML parsing. Reduce resource requirements and leverage standard data exchange, even from large XML documents, with XML document parsing.

Native 3D rendering with DirectX 9 support. Deliver more engaging experiences with DirectX 9 support for native 3D rendering. Create sophisticated game environments, make realistic simulations, and add immersive interaction to your applications, prototypes, and simulations.

Advanced physics with AGEIA PhysX support. Build games with realistic collisions and create simulations that model real-world gravity and other forces. The included AGEIA™ PhysX™ physics engine delivers advanced dynamic motion and interaction.

Support for Flash CS3 Professional and video created with Flash. Expand your creative options by easily importing content created with Flash CS3 Professional*. Launch Flash from within Adobe Director software and have your changes saved automatically.

Flash Asset Xtra for Adobe Flash Player. Create sophisticated 3D and 2D interactivity more efficiently with the Flash Asset Xtra, which enables easy interaction between ActionScript 2.0 based objects and JavaScript syntax or Lingo scripting — or a combination of the two.

Enhanced text rendering engine. Display smooth, crisp text in your demos, courses, games, and other applications with a more powerful text engine that improves font rendering.

For Mac OS X developers, Valentina for Director 3.5.2 offers both a Carbon and Universal Binary version, with the former – and the Windows version – supporting back to Director 8.

I sometimes get asked what the difference is between Adobe Director and Mirye Runtime Revolution. They are different in so many ways – except that they both offer cross-platform solutions for building rich media applications. Director does fall short, in that Revolution also supports Linux and Solaris. But Director has Shockwave on its side, for playback through the Shockwave browser plugin. Good thing that there is a Valentina solution for both platforms.

The problem with Quesa was that REALbasic’s RB3D was its strongest and best implementation. REALbasic is an excellent cross-platform development tool but it has never been optimized for speed. The promise of RB3D was that it would be possible to develop 3D games and deploy them across operating systems – which would have required Quesa to have received equal treatment on all platforms.

Since the appearance of RB3D though, a remarkable number of cross-platform 3D specific systems and frameworks have become available. One excellent example is Blade3D. While Blade3D is not available for the Macintosh, it does allow you to compile for both Windows – XP and Vista – and Xbox 360.