For those of you who now have some experience with FlashLite and who have also
developed J2ME, Symbian C++, WAP and other mobile technologies ... In your
opinion, what kinds of applications, content, usage etc does FlashLite seem
well suited for?

OK. In J2ME you can do more, but's it's more complicated than in FlashLite.
FlashLite is cool suite for flash developers to do quickly and EASILY some
mobile app. Easily means that you can use drawing/design IDE. Of course the
usage of vector graphics is very cool. But problems are:
1) no functions
2) no really good programming possibilities (no EVAL() etc.)
3) no local data storage (where to save highscore etc...you've to use all the
time GPRS)

Well, Symbian C++ is best way to develop superb apps and games as well for
s60. But very very hardly.

FlashLite is the best solution for graphics/designers as the most of us are!

Is there anything that FlashLite can do that Java cannot? When I ask this
question, I am imediately drawn to the media capabilities of the two rather
than the application capabilities. There are a number of media capabilities
that J2ME may have, depending upon device support, that are not part of
FlasLite. But what media features does FlashLite have that a standard J2ME
implementation does not or would be hardly worth trying to implement. For
example, FlashLite (theoretically) on Symbian can progressively load and
synchronize mp3 compressed sound and graphics. J2ME does not support mp3
compressed sound, cannot progresive load sound and does not have a built in way
to sync long form sound and graphics. It would be relatively easy to
progressively load a kind of multi media message with voice over and
syncrhonized text graphics (simple vector) in Flash but could be very awkward
to attempt this with J2ME. J2ME has a 2d graphic API but probably does not
directly support aliasing of curves and diagonal lines. How difficult would it
be to render a smooth vector image with curves and diagonal lines using J2ME
2d? Theoretically Flash would be able to render a simple curve or diagonal
line with aliasing on a mobile device. Does J2ME support opacity of bitmap
images? On the application side, the argument becomes more about rapid
development than capability. Certain types of application concepts could be
more quickly deployed through Flash AS vs. J2ME. But it is hard to find an
example of what FlashLite AS might be just as good at compared to J2ME, except
for simple client server type applications.

Tom, while I can't argue point number 3; functions can be fully faked using
call() and there _is_ eval. You can built dynamic clipnames with tellTarget and
eval variables. Games are fully possible in Flash Lite.

G

I wouldnt think Flash Lite could do too much that Java can't. I think it's main
selling point is portability, speed of creation and low learning curve. After 6
days of getting Flash Lite I had my game made and ready to go; all because I
use Flash on the PC. For me to learn Java and knock up something similar would
have taken donkeys.