[samab]

Question for all the Apple hating, Flash loving commenters. Why do you think Adobe has decided to abandon mobile Flash? This ought to be fun.

It has nothing to do with anything.

What it means is that Adobe doesn't want to spend their manpower on porting the Flash player to the Android platform. QNX does the porting themselves for the Playbook. Adobe wants Google to do the porting from now on.

[samab]

I would say that it really doesn't affect any mobile platform. Obviously Apple doesn't care. Android had seen the writing on the wall a while back and brought support for HTML5. BB never really got around to depending on Flash. Devices that already have flashplayer on them will still receive updates and support for the current version they have.

I'd speculate that Adobe is dropping development of mobile flashplayer simply because no platforms really depend on it, and HTML5 web-development has finally matured enough that it's being utilized more.

HTML5 is nowhere near matured enough.

Adobe doesn't want to spend their manpower on the porting effort to android. So it is now up to SILICON manufacturers to port the android versions.

This is like how TI made their netflix app on the android platform --- to try to sell more of their chipsets. So from now on, nvidia is going to port it to their chipset for the android platform --- and use that to sell more of their tegra 3 chips. Same thing for TI, Qualcomm, Samsung...

TI is going to say --- buy our OMAP4 chip --- and you will get a certified netflix HD app on Android. Thus Amazon Fire and the Nook Tablet --- both sporting the same OMAP4 chip and both getting netflix. Buy our OMAP5 chip and you will get Flash 12 on Android.

[DenverRalphy]

HTML5 is nowhere near matured enough.

For the uses found in mobile web browsing, sure it is. Which is why only the browser player is no longer being developed.

[samab]

For the uses found in mobile web browsing, sure it is. Which is why only the browser player is no longer being developed.

Stuff like webgl is not ready yet.

What you are going to see is exactly like what TI did --- TI made their own netflix HD app and had it certified for the Android platform. Buy our OMAP4 chip and we will throw the netflix app in for free. In a year, you are going to see --- buy our OMAP5 chip and we will throw Flash 12 on Android for free.

[DenverRalphy]

Stuff like webgl is not ready yet.

What you are going to see is exactly like what TI did --- TI made their own netflix HD app and had it certified for the Android platform. Buy our OMAP4 chip and we will throw the netflix app in for free. In a year, you are going to see --- buy our OMAP5 chip and we will throw Flash 12 on Android for free.

In a year, nobody's going to care about Flash anymore. Just like nobody cares about the Netflix app anymore since it's available free to anybody, not restricted to OMAP devices anymore. The current iteration of the Flash player will be around longer than anybody will need or want it.

[Caymancroc]

Flash is toast. Said it back here...
http://forums.crackberry.com/android...88/index2.html

Funny I also said back then Apple won Adobe lost. (this is the same thing the author of this article said).

It is only a matter of time before the rest of the Flash market is sunk (e.g. Non-mobile). People don't like the bloated, always updating, clunky Flash. Adobe is scrambling and they might be the next one Apple crushes, right after RIM is crushed.

About the only thing they have going for them is their Photoshop and Acrobat software. It is nice seeing them releasing apps for Apple, even though most are free. Strange business model .

[DenverRalphy]

Flash is toast. Said it back here...
http://forums.crackberry.com/android...88/index2.html

Funny I also said back then Apple won Adobe lost. (this is the same thing the author of this article said).

It is only a matter of time before the rest of the Flash market is sunk (e.g. Non-mobile). People don't like the bloated, always updating, clunky Flash. Adobe is scrambling and they might be the next one Apple crushes, right after RIM is crushed.

About the only thing they have going for them is their Photoshop and Acrobat software. It is nice seeing them releasing apps for Apple, even though most are free. Strange business model .

You seem to be under the impression that Adobe and Apple are competitors, which they're not. Apple isn't out to crush Adobe. Apple simply chose not to do business with them regarding Flash. Apple has no vested interest to see Adobe succeed or fail. If Apple was anti-Adobe, they wouldn't support PDF either.

Adobe has a lot more going for them than just Photoshop and Acrobat, they develop a ton of other development tools. HTML5 becoming dominant does nothing to Adobe other than give them yet another opportunity to deploy new development tools (which they already are).

[samab]

In a year, nobody's going to care about Flash anymore. Just like nobody cares about the Netflix app anymore since it's available free to anybody, not restricted to OMAP devices anymore. The current iteration of the Flash player will be around longer than anybody will need or want it.

The netflix HD app player is not restricted to just OMAP4 devices --- because Lenovo made their own netflix HD app for the tegra 2 based tablets (which was then lifted by hackers).

This is the classic prisoner's dilemma scenario --- if all parties co-operate, then Flash is finished. But you know what? This never happens. Somebody is going to cave --- TI, Qualcomm, nvidia, Samsung... Doesn't matter who it is.

[Caymancroc]

You seem to be under the impression that Adobe and Apple are competitors, which they're not. Apple isn't out to crush Adobe. Apple simply chose not to do business with them regarding Flash. Apple has no vested interest to see Adobe succeed or fail. If Apple was anti-Adobe, they wouldn't support PDF either.

Adobe has a lot more going for them than just Photoshop and Acrobat, they develop a ton of other development tools. HTML5 becoming dominant does nothing to Adobe other than give them yet another opportunity to deploy new development tools (which they already are).

I know they don't compete. We all know this. Apple made a conscientious decision not to support Flash. We all know this too. I simply said Apple won (looks like I am not the only one saying this). They won in the sense they forced the once previous standard (Flash) to change (now HTML5). HTML5, I feel, is better for a number of reasons.

It is hurting Adobe and has forced them to an inflection point where they chose wisely, to support HTML5. I think it is too late.

I understand you and others think Adobe has a ton going for it. I don't believe so. I bet within the year Wall St starts seeing this too. Just my belief. You can believe what you want.

If Adobe doesn't survive it will be because of Apple. Just my opinion.

[Xandrex_BSCF]

I do not have the same understanding of what is happening. In my opinion, Adobe knows that the Flash era has come to an end. Adobe is focusing dramatically on Adobe Air, it is possible that they will find a way for Air to be embedded into webpages, in which case Adobe Air will simply replace Adobe Flash just like Adobe Flash replaced (most of) Adobe ShockWave.

That being said, from a RIM point of view, they have what is needed to continue supporting Flash for all upcoming versions of the TabletOS and the SmartphoneOS. THis will be true until Adobe releases some new features for Adobe Flash, which is IMHO not likely at all.

so in the end, this announcement does not change anything.

[condemned]

Thought it would be a big deal at first but apparently HTML5 will be the new standard and is superior to flash.

At least we can still use flash on our current phones. But I never enable flash anyway. It's just a performance hog.

[DenverRalphy]

I simply said Apple won (looks like I am not the only one saying this). They won in the sense they forced the once previous standard (Flash) to change (now HTML5).

It is hurting Adobe and has forced them to an inflection point where they chose wisely, to support HTML5. I think it is too late.

Adobe has been a member of the consortium that has been devising and standardizing HTML5 from the very beginning with the intent for it to replace many elements, including flash. Apple is not and has never been a member, nor participates in it. Apple hasn't won anything, despite what media news/blogs would like to say in that regard. With the advent of Flash for mobile browsing halting future development, Adobe hasn't lost anything either. They've been a part of HTML5 eventually taking over browsing from the very beginning.

[tchocky77]

I don't even see it as a feat anymore, it's nearly common sense - when you see something new that is replacing old proprietary garbage, you drop support for said garbage that doesn't run as well as the new stuff.

As much as I hate Apple, they realize this and are usually the first to drop support for old junk these days.

To develop a marketing strategy and claim you have a competitive edge because you support old garbage people are running away from is absolutely insane.

Yes. But what is notable is that this has been Apple's thinking from the day the iPhone was announced.

Ya know,.....five years ago.

[BBThemes]

If Adobe doesn't survive it will be because of Apple. Just my opinion.

you speak like adobe is under threat. you clearly dont see the bigger picture, adobe makes flash yes, but also dreamweaver - a html coding app. also they make wallaby, which is a flash to html5 converting app. so from that standpoint of flash to html they are covered, then just look at their graphics/vid editing suites and you`ll realise the loss of flash isnt going to be a huge issue for them.

I do not have the same understanding of what is happening. In my opinion, Adobe knows that the Flash era has come to an end. Adobe is focusing dramatically on Adobe Air, it is possible that they will find a way for Air to be embedded into webpages, in which case Adobe Air will simply replace Adobe Flash just like Adobe Flash replaced (most of) Adobe ShockWave.

Adobe created Wallaby, a flash to html5 converter, and there would be no sense to a `webair` plugin, as the whole point of html5 is to kill browser plugins, under the premise that any user anywhere will get the same experience on the browser due to no need to download flash or whatever.

that said, air apps will run on iOS devices as well as PB and android.


personally i dont see the issue people have with flash going. i mean if your device has flash now, it`ll get security updates. if it doesnt have flash now, then its not a `need` for you, so you`ll survive perfectly well lol.
will it affect games/apps? no, obviously not. iOS users will say you dont need flash for games/apps, and nobody can argue that. then add in that the PB (and thus BB10) NDK is out, along with webworks - html5 apps and your fine.