Are ActiveX applets dead?

Question

Are ActiveX applets a technology supported by Microsoft?

What are the ActiveX alternatives for creating extremely rich Internet applications using Microsoft technology? (Silverlight doesn't cut for me as it doesn't give me access to serial ports - or does it?)

Answer 1

Of course, you can still create ActiveX applications, but you know that they will only work with Internet Explorer, unless users of other browsers install hosting plugins that are still not so good.

, -, ? , ? , .

.

Answer 2

-, , Java Web Start JavaFX API Java Communications . - .

, Windows, Microsoft.

Answer 3

ActiveX . . ActiveX Windows.

Answer 4

, Silverlight , , ( ).

, , Clickonce. , , , , . , ( PDF).

(, POS , ..), " ". Clickonce , XBAP " ", , , ".

Answer 5

EDIT: Silverlight . . !

, ActiveX , , . Silverlight. , ActiveX, .NET.

Silverlight , , " ". DotNetRocks, .

, : Microsoft Silverlight Silverlight 2 Glimpse of Silverlight 3 Scott Guthrie

Answer 6

, Silverlight 4 - , - . , Silverlight 4 , COM-, COM-, . , , , .