Articulate on iPads?

Hi Susan and welcome to Heroes,

Apple basically claims that the mobile version of the Flash Player drains power and is a memory hog.  It also has to do with Apple believing that HTML5 is the future of the web.  Essentially, they don't want a "plugin" to be required to view content on the web.

So if you want to be as rich as Steve Jobs you could build an app that runs flash on istuff. Oh wait, Apple probalby wouldn't approve it for release anyway.  Did apple by stock in HTML 5?

Lots of factors at play in Apple's decision. Here's what I see:

• Business decision: Adobe and Apple are competitors in some spaces - Flash is a contendor in a few of these spaces. Killing Flash softly is in Apples interests. With HTML5 hitting, there's an opportunity to shop this as the ideal alternative. Unfortunately, it's only a convincing argument on paper:P
• Performance decision: Flash affects portable device performance. This is the truth. But so does a full-tilt 3D game. I see those deployed so this is a weaker argument.
• Business decision: Apple wants to control the app space on their device (in part because they take a cut of all sales through their app store). The benefits include more consistent support / reliability. If something doesn't work or work well -- the support risks go up.
• Personal decision: It's Apple's device. You just lease it with a single payment and the lease lasts until it doesn't work anymore or you're enticed into buying a newer model. They control all you see (Outer Limits style). I call this effective arrogance if they are successful. Destructive arrogance if they aren't. Since they didn't have any competitors in the space that could touch the elegance of the device, the former applies logically in every case. Market share is a pretty powerful motivator.

BTW - if I were another device I'd use Apple's Orwellian device control against them in a marketing campaign. Apple's done most of the work on that front

The decision only sucks for solution providers. Most users don't notice. And since solution providers are normally the customers of folks like Adobe, it's no skin off Apple's back. They really don't have anything to lose as long as they control the space. I suspect once more attractive competitors enter the scene, Apple may change their tune and bend towards customer choice. Let's just hope this happens soon

HTML5 is an open web standard.

In the big scheme of things, Flash isn't going anywhere any time soon.  As a comparison, Microsoft is just now getting people off of IE6.  Also, Flash Player is installed on approximately 99% of internet-enabled Desktops and many other devices.  With that being said, even Adobe knows that HTML5 is going to be the future and they'll eventually transition their tools to output to both SWF and HTML5.

So ther's the big money idea... Be the deveolper that creates the software that converts flash to HTML 5.

Adobe's already working on it:

http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/wallaby/

If you look at the business model for the iDevices, it is sell apps thru the App store. Flash would break that model. Anyone could create apps and they could avoid the App store. 

Simple economics.

Ben

Wallaby is cool. I rather like the idea of a client side interpreter for the encapsulated Flash assemblies better. Project Smokescreen is an open source project that seems to do a decent job with older functional sets.

What the HTML5 bandwagon fail to register is that while the Flash IDE is closed, the SWF format is quite open. The SWF format is a really nice way to organize encapsulation of media elements. I liken SWF to ZIP. Zips are everywhere. So are SWF's - why not think of them in the same way. Complex media interactions and multimedia assemblies could be expressed in the SWF format and neatly transport to whatever interpreter (Flash player, smokescreen interpreter) you choose. Lots of potential in this concept.

Unfortunately folks like Apple like to twist and fud practical terms into extreme language that clouds pragmatic decision-making... Flash is not a proprietary file format. It hasn't been for a long time. It's a controlled spec with a single controlling party that is motivated by a paying customer base to do their bidding. I don't see the problem

I use to think of Microsoft as the "evil empire."  Kinda tempted to pin that moniker on Apple now.

That ought to get me flamed by the Apple Fanboys.

I'm not an Apple fanboy, but boy to I spend alot of money on their products:P I appreciate the elegance and attention to detail in their designs. But their arrogance (much like my own) tends to rub folks the wrong way:P