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Old 04-29-2010, 11:24 AM   #3
scottjl
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Join Date: Oct 2009
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1. No denying this one. Adobe owns Flash. Control over the features, control over the APIs, control over the development system, control over platforms, control over release schedules. It's all theirs. Funny how people cry that the iDevice OS isn't open but don't make the same complaint about Flash.

2. This is my next to last weakest argument. "Full web experience" is simply a vague complaint. Some sites work, some sites don't. As development moves on more and more sites will shift over to "open standard" technologies like HTML5 and this argument will get stronger. 75% of the web runs flash today, 74% tomorrow. Still a weak point.

3. Flash is an open barn door when it comes to security, this is a known. Adobe has been slow to implement patches, though they are getting better. Still Flash is used and abused by hackers and web sites alike. Most people have no idea what a LSO is, let alone how to secure theirs.

4. Battery life. This is the weakest argument in my opinion. Battery life is too much of a moving target. Yes, Flash is known to drain batteries faster, but if that is something the end user is made aware of and accepts, then so be it. Give them a warning when they enable Flash that their battery life will be cut in half. Simple. No whining that you weren't warned. Battery technologies are improving as well, so today's gadgets run for 5 hours, tomorrow's gadgets run for 7.

5. Can't disagree with this one either, and this affects more than just the iPad, iPhone and Touch. What about that touchscreen HP desktop you just bought? Those Android tablets people are holding out for? Even my Asus eeePC with a touchscreen (that I added in myself) can't do rollovers, just clicks.

6. Yes, this is partially to protect Apple's interests in their OS, but he's got a very valid point here. Every cross-platform development system suffers from the same problem. To be truly cross-platform you code to the lowest denominator or you break cross-platform compatibility and features. If Apple releases an iPhone with a holographic display developers who code in Flash are stuck waiting for Adobe to support it. Joe Public buys the latest iPhone and complains that half his apps don't support this new feature Apple is advertising "FarmVille won't display my cow-poop in 3d! This new iPhone 3D sucks!" Apple takes a black eye. Adobe holds all the cards for Apple and Flash developers to implement APIs to the new 3d technology when they want to. Loss for Apple, loss for developers, loss for end-users and a big win for Adobe.
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