Silverlight 3.0 was recently released with a number of cool features, particularly development features, which make it very attractive to learn now more than ever. You have some higher quality video playback, whole bunch of new developer controls, and out of browser support to name a few.
- Live and on-demand true HD (720p+) Smooth Streaming.
- 60+ controls with source code. Packed with over 60 high-quality, fully skinnable and customizable out-of-the-box controls: charting and media, new layout containers including dock and viewbox, and autocomplete, treeview, and datagrid are a few highlights.
- Silverlight 3 offers a new set of features for building light-weight, sandboxed companion experiences for the Web that run on the desktop. Silverlight out of browser allows websites to build even closer, persistent relationships with customers.
On of the interesting new tools within Expression Blend is Sketchflow. SketchFlow makes it significantly easier to create prototypes, experiment with dynamic user experiences, and incorporate feedback from customers.
If you haven't started learning Silverlight, now is a good time. For a more complete introduction, check out ScottGu's Blog.
You can check out some of the demos of Silverlight 3.0 features here.
David Hayden