This article has been updated to refelct the commercial release of Adobe AIR (Previously codenamed 'Apollo') and subsequent updates to both Adobe AIR and MDM Zinc.

In 2008, Adobe announced the first public release of Adobe AIR, their new development tool for creating Flash based applications which are capable of running on the desktop. In Adobe's own words:

"Adobe AIR is a cross-OS runtime that allows developers to leverage their existing web development skills (Flash, Flex, HTML, Ajax) to build and deploy desktop RIA’s."

Within the Flash Community, this has natuarally raised questions about the impact AIR will have on Zinc. Well, the answer to this question is actually in Adobe's own description of AIR. Many designers and developers have been under the impression (and many still are!) that Apollo is a "SWF2EXE" tool which creates standalone Projector files in the same way that Zinc does. This is not true.

Adobe AIR is actually a runtime, much like the Flash Player, which must be installed on an end users system. This runtime then allows AIR "applications" (or web based RIA's developed with Flash/Flex) to run on the users Desktop, even if no Internet connection is available.

Adobe AIR does not compile a standalone executable which can be copied/distributed to other users. The AIR runtime is a necessity for AIR Apps to run. Incidentally, AIR Apps must also be installed themselves before they can be launched (AIR does compile an AIR File which can be distributed to others, but as already mentioned, this first requires the AIR Runtime, and secondly, an installation of the AIR file on the Users System).

Whilst we're on the subject of software installation, it is also worth pointing out that because Zinc projectors are self contained executables, you can package or deploy them with other 3rd party tools. For example, using a DRM solution such as ActiveMark from Trymedia means you can quickly "wrap" your Zinc Application, Screensaver or Game with a "Try & Buy" feature without having to create your own DRM. Even freeware installer creators, such as INNO and NSIS, can be used to distribute your Zinc Authored Flash Applications in the way you intend them to be deployed/viewed by the end user.

From the summary above, you can see that the application and use of AIR differs quite dramatically from Zinc. Yes, both tools use the terms "desktop" and "Flash" in their descriptions, but the end results are very different, and operate in very different ways.

Adobe AIR is geared towards developing an RIA for the Internet first, and then being able to run that on the desktop via the AIR Runtime. Zinc is a dedicated development tool for creating Flash/Flex projects specifically for the Desktop which requires no further components to run, and provides support and access to a far greater number of functions specific to the desktop.

Take a look at the matrix below to better compare understand AIR and Zinc Features:

	Zinc vs Adobe AIR
	Zinc	AIR
100% Standalone (No Plug-Ins/Runtimes required)
Does not Require Installation to Run
Can run from CD-Rom/DVD/USB
Alpha Transparency
File IO Commands
Browser Commands
Database Connectivity
Play External Video (MPEG, AVI, MOV)
Distribute via DRM Solutions
Connect to External 3rd Party DLL's

Of course, when you actually consider and understand just how different AIR and Zinc are, such a comparison becomes fairly redundant.

Our aim here is to demonstrate how AIR and Zinc actually cater for different developer needs with very different end solutions, and that AIR is certainly not a replacement of any kind for the functionality that Zinc provides for Flash Application Development.

AIR is a very focussed vehicle for making your existing (and future) Rich Internet Applications available on the users desktop. In contrast, Zinc has been developed specifically for creating Flash and Flex Applications for the Desktop, distributable via download, CD-Rom, DVD, USB Device or even on a Kiosk. No runtimes, No Plug-ins and No Sandboxes.

An important difference between the 2 technologies which is often neglected is that Zinc does not limit the scope in which it can be used. For example, by leveraging the Zinc 3.0 SDK, Zinc developers can create virtually any kind of application via a vast collection of 3rd party DLLs or Library's. This connectivity opens infinite possibilities that are currently limited in Adobe AIR.

Microsoft has the .NET Framework, and now, Adobe has the AIR Runtime. But if you're looking to create Rich Standalone Desktop Applications (let's call these RSDA's) from Flash or Flex, Zinc is still King.

Since this article was first written, MDM have also released an exciting new application called Inferno. Inferno 1.0 can be used to extend Adobe AIR projects by leveraging the Inferno SDK to connect to external DLLs and Librarys also. This provides the power and flexibilty of Zinc 3.0 to Adobe AIR Projects too.