Microsoft Silverlight, a proprietary runtime for browser based Rich Internet Application, Silverlight Aims to compete with Adobe Flash and JavaFX.

So how do you think Silverlight will compete with adobe flash? And what does it offer to the table?

Let’s start out with the basics, what is the difference between a vector based image and a bitmap image?

Vector graphics also called as geometric or object oriented graphics; it operates on vector points, lines, curves and polygons this is used to represent graphics on a mathematical basis, the major difference between them is vector doesn’t posses any pixel’s in them while bitmap is comprise of bitmaps to render an image.

The down side to using bitmaps is when you try to resize or blow up an image from its original size the pixels compensates for the changes by adjusting the pixels in the photo thus reducing the quality of the image significantly.

Major vector based graphics like Flash uses purely vector based images but also posses the capability to import bitmap images upon the users regard.

From the surface you might see them as one in the same, both of them will be used develop and render vector based image and for Rich internet applications, but for me the difference could be present in the programming level, according to Wikipedia Silverlight uses the (dot) net framework this might mean that any programming language can be used to develop applications in Silverlight as long as it belongs in the (dot) net family.

A report surface in the internet that states Microsoft will release the certain parts of Silverlight as open source software this report was quickly denied by Microsoft stating that they have no plans on making Silverlight as an open source software.