The Other Flash MX 2004
As I mentioned earlier in this article, there are now two versions of Flash MX 2004. The other version is Flash MX 2004 Professional.
The higher-priced version is designed to hit those developers and designers out there who are building solutions with Flash that will connect movies with data, video, and other rich media sources.
Some of the cool features in Flash MX 2004 Professional include some nifty components that let you link Flash Video or MP3 files right into your movies without touching a single line of ActionScript. Also, you can connect to the much-hyped Web Services of the Web through Flash. There are some caveats to this feature (the most important is that the Web Service has to reside on your network—which kind of goes against the grain of what Web Services are supposed to be all about). You also have access to data-binding tools that connect XML files to your movies.
On the whole, Flash MX 2004 Professional is very much worth the upgrade. Even if you use the additional tools a couple of times, you will save more money than if you have to create the code by your self.