There is a lot of support from different sources (Apple Insider) that Adobe and Apple are going to support Flash. Boy am I excited.
I love the aesthetics of the iPhone. It is a very well made device. However, as a developer that makes web applications, Flex/Flash is my tool of choice. I mean REAL Internet apps with visualizations and non-transaction type AJAX “want to be” RIA. (See this video for an example of my work.)
Considering Apples past comments on Flash performance, and that if any flash, a FULL flash plug-in is the only way forward, we are most likely looking at flash support for the iPhone co-inciting with the release of Flash10 for portable devices. This will be a full ActionScript3 implementation with Flex support designed specifically for portable devices.
In any case, this means all the work I put into my RIA’s will soon be available on iPhones.
The lack of Flash support is quite ridiculous. It forces developers to RE-MAKE their applications in a proprietary iPhone SDK.
Once Flash is on the iPhone, I will be able to utilise all my RIA’s by simply pointing the browser at a website. No development needed.
The RIA development world rejoice.
2 responses so far ↓
1 Philip Hodgetts // Feb 4, 2009 at 1:09 pm
That “Flash is coming to the iPhone” has been interpreted from the Adobe comments., but it’s equally reasonable to read it as saying it’s very difficult and won’t happen without Apple’s active co-operation as it’s currently against the iPhone SDK agreement.
And I don’t believe Apple are interested in having Flash on the iPhone (or the Web for that matter.) What’s our wager James? No Flash on the iPhone by end of 2010? I think I’m quite safe.
In fact what’s happening is that sites in Flash are already losing traffic from the nearly 20 million iPhone users (already about half that of OS X). N0 serious web site can alienate the Mac market and no serious site can afford to alienate the iPhone/iTouch market. So they’ll provide non-Flash versions as they well should.
There’s no evidence that Adobe can program Flash for reasonable processor loads on a beefy Mac Desktop or Mac Desktop (even in the supposedly “much improved” Flash 10) so I don’t for a minute believe they’re capable of doing it efficiently for the much less powered iPhone.
Time to take a reality check on what they can and cannot actually achieve at Adobe and I don’t think they can get Flash working acceptably on OS X on bigger machines, and I seriously doubt they will pull it off on the iPhone.
And even if they do, they can’t install it on a single iPhone without Apple’s co-operation, and that’s not in Apple’s best interests. An open web, built on open standards (as we’ve discussed before) is what Apple are working on and you know them – they don’t listen to anyone else (least of all you and I).
Philip
2 JamieG // Feb 4, 2009 at 9:32 pm
Philip,
I understand that Flash is not in the best interest for Apple for the pure fact they are less likely to control the App market for the iPhone.
This is of course in their best interest (To make profit) at the expense of the end users.
Flash will get up on Android and all other upcoming platform that will eventually compete with iPhone. Flash WILL have to be supported at some stage. Better sooner then later to ensure complete dominance of the market.
Flash performance is also far better, due to the implementation, then any AJAX type RIA can be.
I have had experience with some extensive AJAX apps. They are CRAP, kill the CPU on Core 2 Duo.. Using all web standards. While a Flex/Flash app written right runs like a dream and eats little CPU.
I use a Mac at home mainly now, and I have not noticed much of a CPU problem with Flash10 myself.
In the end I want the performance of a native App on a iPhone. Something standard AJAX type tools simply cannot archive. Flash/Flex/Silverlight CAN, and the developed result can work on ANY platform. Not just an iPhone.
Apple is pushing SH*T up hill Philip. They may be the golden company right now, but developers will eventually start asking questions and want cross platform solutions. not only iPhone solutions.
Especially from the business angle.
James
Leave a Comment