I have high hopes for JavaFX -- if and when they release it for Linux. JavaFX will be familiar software grammar for coders using Swing widgets and convenience methods for 3D, audio, video display panels, animation, among other things. The beauty of it all will be that JavaFX is ready for Applications on any platform, web pages, home entertainment systems, cell phones and/or even microwave ovens!
Flash is limited to the plug-in available from Adobe.
Silverlight is exclusive Microsoft technology, won't work on Linux and maybe not on Mac. Microsoft is in business to sell you an update. And, that update will come with an expiration date.
For the JavaFX, the video capabilities have thus far prevented JavaFX development kits for Linux. Microsoft and Apple use proprietary frameworks to display video. Linux is capable of using a variety of video libraries to show a video. When JavaFX becomes available on Linux I expect to see a flood of cool web pages.
JavaFX uses the W3.org standards. MS uses their own xml, their own graphics format. MS promised to make their new file formats compatiable with other platforms, but I don't see how that is commercially viable, nor why we need another file format.
