Comments on: If Apple’s iPhone Gets Flash, It Better Have An “OFF” Setting http://www.macblogz.com/2008/09/30/if-apples-iphone-gets-flash-it-better-have-an-off-setting/ Bridging the Apple Community and Keeping Tabs on the Rumor Mill. Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:38:10 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: dave http://www.macblogz.com/2008/09/30/if-apples-iphone-gets-flash-it-better-have-an-off-setting/comment-page-1/#comment-856 dave Wed, 01 Oct 2008 08:33:52 +0000 http://www.macblogz.com/?p=795#comment-856 First, to say that Flash doesn't integrate well with Apple's end vision for UI perfection is the world's biggest understatement. I have yet to come across a Flash app that even looks native on MacOS X. Two, if Apple were to give the OK, there would be two Flash apps that perform well and look good on the iPhone. A demo written by Adobe to show off that it "works well and looks good" on the iPhone, and whoever is number 2 in Flash usage after YouTube (as you already can access YouTube better on the iPhone than using the web interface). I also find it bizarre that people write in comments that they want Flash to access YouTube videos (obviously written by people who haven't even tried the iPhone and don't know it's got native access to most (maybe all by now). Three, why would Adobe treat the Flash plugin and/or app on the iPhone any better than they treat the Flash plugin for MacOS X. For some reason the Mac plugin soaks up way more processing power for a given page than it does on Windows XP. Four, having Flash just opens up the iPhone to a whole new class of vulnerabilities, that Apple has no control over when/how fast they get fixed. And Adobe doesn't like playing in another apps sandbox (limiting which parts of the OS it has access too). It very much prefers to completely manage it's security (or lack thereof) itself. Five, the only Flash content that doesn't have to be rewritten specifically for the iPhone are...ads! Everything else pretty much does, as the main usage for Flash is mainly mouse interaction with content/controls. Typical Flash controls are way too small for using them with a finger instead of a mouse. The UI model is fundamentally different, and requires custom Flash content to work well on the iPhone. There might be a brief surge of customization for the iPhone when it first comes out, after that, it will probably drop back down to similar levels that Flash is customized for MacOS X. Six, Flash is part of Adobe's plan to smear all operating systems into one mediocre one. Their standalone apps purposefully work against platform-specific UI in the name of making all platforms work the same. And don't get me started with AdobeAIR (which I'm sure Adobe also wants to inflict on the iPhone). Hell, they can't get people to install it, so they have to bundle it as a non-optional install with all their other products (which don't actually use it), just to boost their numbers. Please Apple, keep saying no to Flash! First, to say that Flash doesn’t integrate well with Apple’s end vision for UI perfection is the world’s biggest understatement. I have yet to come across a Flash app that even looks native on MacOS X.

Two, if Apple were to give the OK, there would be two Flash apps that perform well and look good on the iPhone. A demo written by Adobe to show off that it “works well and looks good” on the iPhone, and whoever is number 2 in Flash usage after YouTube (as you already can access YouTube better on the iPhone than using the web interface). I also find it bizarre that people write in comments that they want Flash to access YouTube videos (obviously written by people who haven’t even tried the iPhone and don’t know it’s got native access to most (maybe all by now).

Three, why would Adobe treat the Flash plugin and/or app on the iPhone any better than they treat the Flash plugin for MacOS X. For some reason the Mac plugin soaks up way more processing power for a given page than it does on Windows XP.

Four, having Flash just opens up the iPhone to a whole new class of vulnerabilities, that Apple has no control over when/how fast they get fixed. And Adobe doesn’t like playing in another apps sandbox (limiting which parts of the OS it has access too). It very much prefers to completely manage it’s security (or lack thereof) itself.

Five, the only Flash content that doesn’t have to be rewritten specifically for the iPhone are…ads! Everything else pretty much does, as the main usage for Flash is mainly mouse interaction with content/controls. Typical Flash controls are way too small for using them with a finger instead of a mouse. The UI model is fundamentally different, and requires custom Flash content to work well on the iPhone. There might be a brief surge of customization for the iPhone when it first comes out, after that, it will probably drop back down to similar levels that Flash is customized for MacOS X.

Six, Flash is part of Adobe’s plan to smear all operating systems into one mediocre one. Their standalone apps purposefully work against platform-specific UI in the name of making all platforms work the same. And don’t get me started with AdobeAIR (which I’m sure Adobe also wants to inflict on the iPhone). Hell, they can’t get people to install it, so they have to bundle it as a non-optional install with all their other products (which don’t actually use it), just to boost their numbers.

Please Apple, keep saying no to Flash!

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