Flash (and the iPad indirectly)

[Jim_Campbell]

Whilst I'm reluctant to revisit the whole Flash debate, and I've started a new thread to avoid shitting up PJ's tablet thread any more than I already have, I think it's worth noting that what Adobe says about open standards and what Adobe does about open standards appear to be two very different things.

HTML5 standard blocked by Adobe.

Now, whilst I certainly can't fault Adobe for wanting to defend their product, I would argue that allowing them to control the defacto standard for delivering interactive content and video by scuppering an open standard intended to achieve the same is, broadly speaking, a Very Bad Thing.

I'm also not arguing that Apple's opposition to Flash is motivated by anything more than their business interests, but one side of this fight is backing an open standard, whilst the other is trying to push a proprietary one into ubiquity across the web.

Speaking as someone who has to put up with Adobe's idea of what is acceptable in a software experience since they achieved domination of print design, it's difficult to make a case that Adobe's quality control increases as they eliminate competition.

Cheers

Jim

[Richmond Clements]

BBC report: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/10092298.stm

I know nothing of this- could someone explain it in layman's terms for me?
It looks to me like two big money companies playing poker with each other.

[Jim_Campbell]

Technical issue: Flash is a pig on Mac OS -- 50% of all Safari crash reports files with Apple have Flash as their root. A simple Flash game like Bejewelled will push my CPU usage from 25% to 70% and max out my laptop fans within 30 seconds of loading.

Business Issue: if Apple allows developers to write apps using Flash, then Adobe controls the development cycle of the iPhone and not Apple.

Here's a hypothetical illustration, assuming that Flash was as dominant a developer technology on the iPhone as it is elsewhere on the web:  Apple introduces multi-tasking with iPhone OS 4.0, but Adobe doesn't update the programming libraries available to people authoring in Flash to access that feature? It will look like the OS doesn't multitask consistently. Likewise, if Flash impacts battery life (which it does), then people will blame the hardware for poor battery performance.

At the end of the day, it's about controlling the pace and direction of the platform's development, for both iPhone and iPad. Jobs has hinted that if Adobe could come up with a version that wasn't buggy, didn't eat watt-hours off your battery like a horde of locusts, and suck up CPU clock-cycles for absolutely no good reason, then he might reconsider.

Given that Adobe can't be arsed to give Mac users a version of Photoshop that doesn't look like a shitty windows port, when Mac users make up fifty percent of their Creative Suite sales, I won't be holding my breath.

Someone will be along shortly to say that this is a typical example of Jobsian control-freakery, which it is. It's just that his control-freakery is not always a bad thing.

Jobs (very readable) thoughts on the subject here.

Transcript and link to video of Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen's interview with the WSJ on the subject here.

Cheers!

Jim

[uncle fester]

I think it's a stand off that will remain for years. I don't see how each side would concede any ground, given the years of development they have put into their respective products.

But at the same time it is a bit sad that they can't get past their stubborn principles to work together to produce a solution. Oh wait, sorry about that, I was living in an ideal world there for a minute.

[LARF]

Technical issue: Flash is a pig on Mac OS -- 50% of all Safari crash reports files with Apple have Flash as their root. A simple Flash game like Bejewelled will push my CPU usage from 25% to 70% and max out my laptop fans within 30 seconds of loading.

Doesn't stop you playing it and posting your big flash scores on Facebook, how the hell do you get that many points????

[Dan Kelly]

Jason Kottke has a good view on this - that basically Flash became dominant as there was not way of doing what it did otherwise.  Fair enough.

However HTML 5 now allows developers to do 95% or more that Flash did.  And does it in a way that users can choose whatever HTML5 browser they want, without plugins.

The technical issues on Mac OS X are partly Apples fault, through not allowing access to hardware to Flash.  They've just changed that and the reports are that the improvements are significant.

However the fact is that for a large portion of the Web (flash sites) users experience is in Adobes hands, and if they drag their heels on security or bug fixes then users suffer.

Personally, I think Adobe should concentrate on making the de facto HTML5 development suite and jettison Flash

[Jim_Campbell]

Doesn't stop you playing it and posting your big flash scores on Facebook, how the hell do you get that many points????

Ah. There's a non-Flash version for iPhone -- it's a much easier game with a touch interface!

Cheers

Jim

[Banners]

I owe my living to Abode products, but they make it very it hard to like the company. Also, it's a pain that this is all happening at the same time that CS5 is introducing a load of Flash tools.

M@

[LARF]

Doesn't stop you playing it and posting your big flash scores on Facebook, how the hell do you get that many points????

Ah. There's a non-Flash version for iPhone -- it's a much easier game with a touch interface!

Cheers

Jim

Oh yeah I have that, didn't know you could interface with FB though. Bought Star Cannon the other day, really good old fashioned shooter.

[Banners]

You have nothing on this guy.

M@

[Jim_Campbell]

Now, whilst I certainly can't fault Adobe for wanting to defend their product, I would argue that allowing them to control the defacto standard for delivering interactive content and video by scuppering an open standard intended to achieve the same is, broadly speaking, a Very Bad Thing.

Ooh. Interesting. It would appear that Microsoft agrees.

Cheers!

Jim