Naked Browser vs. Flex (kind of)

My previous blog entitled Appage (3 bonus points if you caught both puns) discusses the decline of the web browser and the increase in the use of applications. Today, I was introduced to a new software development kit known as Flex, an application created to develop and deliver rich internet content which is based on the Adobe Flash platform.

I was instructed to do a hands-on comparison of ebay with a traditional web browser versus a Flex application browser sidebar. I found this to be somewhat contradictory because a sidebar does not stand alone and function outside of a web browser. Through my understanding, Flex is capable of functioning by itself in place of a web browser, but what the hay, I'll put on my anti-argumentative goggles and compare the two. So now that I've got my goggles on, we're comparing apples to apples.

The web browser version of ebay is very user friendly and easy to navigate. I have no complaints with this user experience although the sidebar does have one clear advantage over the naked web browser. With the Flex based browser sidebar, the functionality and purpose are also very user friendly and obvious. It is very clear why it was developed for an auction and real-time based hub of commerce. It basically displays only the information that pertains to what you are potentially purchasing. In this case, the current price, how much time it will be in auction, and in some cases the ability to simply purchase the item for a firm price. This information if valuable to the user, and is easier to have viewable than to simply bookmark the pages in a browser. Also, seeing a pair of wire drum brushes I've been wanting to get is definitely tempting me to bid . . . I think it's a win-win situation for ebay.