Half-News: Microsoft's Entry into AJAX Development

Web develpoment has come a long way in the past decade. One of the most exciting forms of development is AJAX, or Asynchronous Javascript and XML. This technology, although not new, is just now coming into being with help from the most influential companies in the game. Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft all use this new technology on their corporate websites to allow users the highest of quality when they use applications built with this system. Sites that use AJAX include Flickr, Google Maps, Gmail, Microsoft Virtual Earth, and Microsoft's Start.com. AJAX is not a language, but rather a usage of currently applied languages in order to create more interactive web applications. The AJAX technology allows the developer to create pages which do not need to be reloaded and use only the data it needs to perform the function chosen by the user. The Flickr photo page uses ajax to create slideshows and to manage user's images. The Google Maps site uses AJAX to retieve map data in real time, allowing for a quicker and more functional application. Gmail uses AJAX retrieve data without reloading the entire page, creating a fully functional web application, able to compete with the best of the desktop applications. Microsoft Virtual Earth is perhaps one of the most ambitious AJAX applications, created to compete directly with Google Earth, a downloadable Desktop Application.

Ajax web applications are literally changing the way we use the internet. More and more sites you visit on the web use this technology to make the experience of the user more contained. The further development of applications using AJAX on the web could prove to be a threat to desktop applications which rely on computer space and speed to run.

As internet connections get faster and bandwidth charges decrease, AJAX applications will become more and more useful.

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You Say You Want a Web Revolution

02:00 AM Aug. 05, 2005 PT A programming technique called AJAX enables software developers to create powerful programs that function independently from the PC's operating system. Will it wipe out Windows? By Ryan Singel.