What is good with JavaScript API?
What is not so good with JavaScript API?
Any limits on the JavaScript that other API's doesn't have?
I have very similar programming experiences as Heming, I agree with all of his opinions, but I am not so comfortable with Javascript as he does.
It might possible to develop SOE, MVVM applications with Javascript, I looked Johnney's blog, his blog inspired me a lot with Javascript on GIS, but consider the time, team resource, however I don't think I will easily take Javascript as an option for our enterprise applications now, but I will use them for some easy functionlities which could be public.
All ESRI APIs are good, there is no one over another from my opinion, we just need to select the right ones for the specific application requirements.
Demin,
I agree about the statement about development resources, however at long term it will not be a discussion of using Silverlight / Flex or Javascript for web based application but rather choose between JavaScript and native applications for mobiles (IOS / Android Win 8?). Silverlight is at a dead end for Microsoft, still they will support it for a long time. Flex has been put in open source, clearly an exit strategy of Adobe. So the days for browser plugins are counted.
Javascript will have more support from Microsoft in Visual Studio 2012, unfortunaly for us ArcGis guys Microsoft choose JQuery as their favorite library. So investments into Javascript will be very important if you need doing web applications.
Johnny
I think "Silverlight is Dead" is very misleading. It is a very big topic and there are lots of good articles on Google talking about it so i don't want or am not capable to explain well. I think Javascript and Sliverlight technologies complement each other. I would like to make use of both strength. As a matter of fact, I had developments a silverlight app using Google Map API. The interaction between Javascript and silverlight are so easier....
For intranet applications Silverlight will stay for a long time as you have your desktop configurations in hand. Internet applications however follow the new technologies.
Why ESRI stopped their Web ADF in the first place?