Adobe AIR Frequently Asked Questions

What is Adobe AIR?
What operating systems does Adobe AIR run on?
How does Adobe AIR compare to the browser?
Where can I get Adobe AIR?
How much does Adobe AIR cost?
How does Adobe AIR compare to other Internet-connected applications such as widgets?
How does Adobe AIR compare to Flash Player?
Is there an application or authoring tool that goes with the Adobe AIR application runtime?
Do I need to buy tools from Adobe to build applications for Adobe AIR?
What is the relationship between Adobe AIR and Flex?
What is the relationship between AIR and AJAX?

Q. What is Adobe AIR™?

A. Adobe AIR™ is a cross-operating system runtime that lets developers combine HTML, AJAX, Adobe Flash®, and Flex technologies to deploy rich Internet applications (RIAs) on the desktop. Adobe AIR™ allows developers to use familiar tools such as Adobe Dreamweaver® CS3, Flex® Builder™ 3, Flash CS3 Professional or any text editor to build their applications and easily deliver a single application installer that works across operating systems.

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Q. What operating systems does Adobe AIR™ run on?

A. Adobe AIR™ is available for Microsoft® Windows® 2000; Windows XP; Windows Vista® Home Premium, Business, Ultimate or Enterprise; and Mac OS X v10.4 or 10.5. The Linux® release of Adobe AIR™ is under development.

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Q. How does Adobe AIR™ compare to the browser?

A. A Web browser enables a user to interact with content and applications typically located on a website on a server. Adobe AIR™ builds upon capabilities and technologies used in the browser to enable deployment of applications on the desktop. Adobe AIR™ complements the browser by providing users and developers with a choice about how to deliver and use applications built with web technologies. For more information, review the browser vs. desktop comparison matrix.

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Q. Where can I get Adobe AIR™?

A. Adobe AIR™ is a free download available from the Adobe AIR™ Download Center.

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Q. How much does Adobe AIR™ cost?

A. There is no cost for Adobe AIR™. The Adobe AIR™ application runtime, like Adobe Reader® software and the Adobe Flash® Player runtime, is free. The downloadable Adobe AIR™ SDK is free as well.

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Q. How does Adobe AIR™ compare to other Internet-connected applications such as widgets?

A. Adobe AIR™ enables developers to build a wide variety of applications, including widgets. Adobe AIR™ does not provide a widget manager such as a sidebar or top layer, but it is possible to build a widget manager on Adobe AIR™.

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Q. How does Adobe AIR™ compare to Flash Player?

A. Adobe Flash® Player is a browser plug-in that provides advantages for users and content creators in the browser, including the ability to deliver RIAs in the browser. Adobe AIR™ incorporates technologies originally developed in Flash Player and enables rich Internet applications on the desktop. Adobe AIR™ and Flash Player provide complementary deployment methods for the RIAs.

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Q. Is there an application or authoring tool that goes with the Adobe AIR™ application runtime?

A. There is no specific development tool for building Adobe AIR™ applications. Web developers can use the IDE of their choice, including Adobe tools such as Eclipse™ based Flex Builder, Flash, and Dreamweaver, to build Adobe AIR™ applications. The free Adobe AIR™ SDK provides a set of command line tools for packaging Adobe AIR™ applications. This can be used with any text editor to build and deploy an AIR application.

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Q. Do I need to buy tools from Adobe to build applications for Adobe AIR™?

A. No. Any text editor can be used with the free Adobe AIR™ SDK to build and deploy an AIR application.

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Q. What is the relationship between Adobe AIR™ and Flex?

A. Flex is a free, open source framework for building RIAs using Flash technologies. Adobe AIR™ enables RIAs on the desktop. Just as Flex can be used with Flash Player to build and deliver RIAs in the browser, Flex can be used with Adobe AIR™ to build and deliver RIAs on the desktop.

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Q. What is the relationship between AIR and AJAX?

A. AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) is a group of web development techniques used for creating interactive web applications. JavaScript, HTML and XML are all supported by Adobe AIR™. AJAX can be used to build applications that are deployed on Adobe AIR™. Most common AJAX frameworks work with Adobe AIR™.

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For additional information, visit Adobe’s AIR FAQ

Have a Question? Ask an Adobe AIR Expert