Adobe confirms it will no longer develop Flash for mobile browsers

[onthebottom]

Steve must be cackling from his grave.....

Adobe confirms it will no longer develop Flash for mobile browsers

By AppleInsider Staff

Published: 10:35 AM EST (07:35 AM PST)
Adobe on Wednesday confirmed that it will no longer develop its Flash Player for mobile platforms like Android, and will instead pour its efforts into creating Adobe AIR applications for native storefronts like Apple's iOS App Store.

The change in strategy was laid out in a post to the company's official blog, in which Danny Winokur, vice president of the Flash Client Platform at Adobe, said that his company will contribute "more aggressively" to HTML 5.

"HTML5 is now universally supported on major mobile devices, in some cases exclusively," he said. "This makes HTML5 the best solution for creating and deploying content in the browser across multiple platforms.


"We are excited about this, and will continue our work with key players in the HTML community, including Google, Apple, Microsoft and RIM, to drive HTML 5 innovation they can use to advance their mobile browsers."

Development of the browser-based Flash Player will cease following the upcoming release of Flash Player 11.1 for Android and BlackBerry PlayBook. Adobe has promise to deliver "critical bug fixes and security updates" for existing devices, and source code licensees will be able to continue working on and releasing their own implementations.

Adobe has said that Flash will live on in mobile devices through its AIR platform, which will enable Flash developers to package native applications for devices like Apple's iPhone and iPad. Apple original banned the use of third-party tools to create iOS applications, but eventually relented last year to allow Flash conversion tools like Adobe AIR.

Adobe's official statement confirms earlier rumors that the company would abandon development of the Flash Player for mobile browsers. The company informed some of its developer community on Tuesday, before the public announcement was made on Wednesday.

The decision by Adobe to abandon Flash in mobile browsers comes less than two years after late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs slammed Flash in a public letter. Jobs declared that Adobe's Web format was created for the PC era, but that it "falls short" in the new wave of mobile computing, led by low-power devices with touch interfaces.

"Flash is a successful business for Adobe, and we can understand why they want to push it beyond PCs," Jobs wrote in April of 2010. "But the mobile era is about low power devices, touch interfaces and open web standards -- all areas where Flash falls short.




"The avalanche of media outlets offering their content for Apple's mobile devices demonstrates that Flash is no longer necessary to watch video or consume any kind of web content... New open standards created in the mobile era, such as HTML5, will win on mobile devices (and PCs too). Perhaps Adobe should focus more on creating great HTML5 tools for the future, and less on criticizing Apple for leaving the past behind."

Jobs's words have proven prophetic, as this August Adobe unveiled a new tool called Edge, which allows developers to create Flash-style animation all using the HTML5 standard compatible when browsing the Web on an iPhone or iPad. And in September, the company launched a new version of its Adobe Flash Media Server, allowing developers to deliver standards-based HTML5 video along with Flash video.

Adobe's Flash will continue to live on in traditional PC browsers with the new Flash Player 11, which the company has said will offer 3D-intensive games with "console quality" graphics, all available within a Web browser. Adobe also said it is already working on Flash Player 12 for PCs, along with "a new round of exciting features which we expect to again advance what is possible for delivering high definition entertainment experiences."

 

[WoodPeckr]

4 Day Old News

https://terb.cc/vbulletin/showthrea...be-ceases-development-on-mobile-browser-Flash

 

[splooge]

20 month old news, if you listened to Steve at the AAPL agm.

 

[b4u]

long long time ago now someone said Rock n Roll was dead, but damn it's taking forever to go away
no doubt HTML 5 is the future but it's not ready for prime time yet until then I enjoy flash and html5 on my various devices


lol at otb, danibbler and djk doing the double post dance. just because a thread gets ignored the first time around doesn't mean it's not gonna happen the second time you post it too. I thought you guys read previous posts lmao

 

[Cobster]

long long time ago now someone said Rock n Roll was dead, but damn it`s taking forever to go away
no doubt HTML 5 is the future but it`s not ready for prime time yet until then I enjoy flash and html5 on my various devices


lol at otb, danibbler and djk doing the double post dance. just because a thread gets ignored the first time around doesn`t mean it`s not gonna happen the second time you post it too. I thought you guys read previous posts lmao

This is OTB`s way of pretending he didn`t. lol

But just in case he hasn`t read any other posts...
https://terb.cc/vbulletin/showthread.php?359329-For-those-considering-an-iPhone5-(4S)

https://terb.cc/vbulletin/showthread.php?359553-Android-Phones-Stuck-in-the-Past

A great comparison of phones.
https://terb.cc/vbulletin/showthread.php?358181-compare-iPhone-4-vs-a-Stone-vs-Samsung-Galaxy-S2

Although, in all fairness, Apple has fuckloads of money if that makes up for the list of Xs in its list??

 

[onthebottom]

20 month old news, if you listened to Steve at the AAPL agm.

bingo, we have a winner....

OTB

 

[Cobster]

bingo, we have a winner....

OTB

In this comparison we certainly do. lol

microSD ----------- STONE - X ...........iPhone - (see stone)...........Samsung S2 - YYYEP
replaceable battery----STONE (batt. not required)....iPhone - get off your ass go to the store talk to a genius...........Samsung S2 - YYYEP
(but really, who gives a fuck, it`s all about market share and how much money Apple has made, that`s all that matters, forget the consumer)

https://terb.cc/vbulletin/showthread.php?358181-compare-iPhone-4-vs-a-Stone-vs-Samsung-Galaxy-S2

 

[onthebottom]

Adobe throws in towel to Apple in Web software war

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Adobe Systems Inc halted development of its Flash Player for mobile browsers, surrendering to Apple Inc in a war over Web standards as the company surprised investors with a restructuring plan.

While the matter might seem like inside baseball for the average person, it is likely to improve the browsing experiences of tens of millions of iPhone and iPad users, who have trouble accessing sites built with Flash.

That is because Adobe's decision means Web developers who currently use Flash tools to produce Web content will likely move over to the newer HTML5 technology, which Adobe embraced on Wednesday.

Adobe's concession to Apple and its late founder Steve Jobs, who famously derided Flash as an inefficient power-hog, came as the design software specialist warned that revenue growth will slow next year.

That is because the company is scaling back development of some products and shifting toward leasing other types of software via the cloud on a subscription basis, instead of selling licenses up front.

The news, detailed Wednesday at the company's annual analyst day, sent shares in the company tumbling nearly 8 percent.

Adobe announced a restructuring plan on Tuesday that involves laying off about 7 percent of its workforce.

Adobe said revenue growth is expected to slow to 4 to 6 percent in fiscal 2012 -- below the roughly 9 percent Wall Street was projecting, on average.

The company said the revenue shortfall is partly because it plans to scale back promotion of its LiveCycle business process management software and Connect web conferencing businesses. It will stop marketing those products to most customers, though it will continue to support them.

Analysts were uncertain when Adobe's moves would deliver, despite executives saying that top line growth should return to normal in 2013.

"Shifting from a license model to a recurring model is hard," said Brigantine Advisors analyst Barbara Coffey.

"Longer-term, Adobe will be a stronger company. However, in the meantime we believe that the shares will languish until revenue growth is evident."

VICTORY FOR JOBS

Adobe's surrender signals the end of a long-running war with Apple that has overshadowed the software maker's other activities.

At one point in the battle, Steve Jobs wrote a nearly 1,700-word "manifesto," calling Flash unreliable and ill-suited for mobile devices. Adobe retaliated by taking out newspaper ads saying Jobs was just plain wrong.

Analysts say the cessation on Flash development might be a setback to rivals of Apple who tout the ability to support Flash as a reason to buy their equipment. They include Asustek Computer Inc, Google Inc, HTC Corp, Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc, Research in Motion Ltd and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.

"It certainly changes the position a little bit for those who said that iOS products such as iPhone and iPad were disadvantaged for not supporting flash," said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst with Gartner.

While Adobe only publicly conceded on Wednesday that HTML5 has become the preferred standard for creating mobile browser content, it has long been investing in the technology.

For example, it worked with magazine publisher Conde Nast for about year developing software that allows for the use of HTML5 technology to publish digital editions of magazines, including the New Yorker and Wired.

This means any content producer can use Adobe's publishing software to build video and motion graphics suitable for the iPad, as well as most other mobile devices.

Plus, Adobe incorporated HTML5 into its popular Illustrator and Dreamweaver software programs and highlighted an HTML5 program dubbed Edge for creating animated Web content it highlighted at its analyst meeting.

The company said it plans to infuse HTML5 technology across its entire product line over the coming years, offering increasingly sophisticated tools and services to design professionals, publishers, retailers and other businesses.

David Wadhwani, head of Adobe's digital media business unit, said the company was in "close collaboration" with Apple as well as Google, Microsoft Corp and others as it developed these new products.

"There is rocket science in this," he said. "There is enough innovation here to last a decade."

He said the company would continue to invest in Flash technology for use in mobile applications that would run on devices through its Adobe AIR platform. To access those applications, a user must first install Adobe's AIR software.

It will also invest in technology to produce Flash applications for desktop computers, including ones that render 3D graphics.

Adobe shares closed down 7.7 percent at $28.08 on Nasdaq, while Apple shares were down 2.7 percent at $395.28.

 

[ray liotta]

Cobster might want to realize that ios5 brought in wifi syncing for iPhones and iPads. There's also a ton of free apps that let me listen to fm or am radio if I want to-although who really listens to terrestrial radio these days??

 

[djk]

although who really listens to terrestrial radio these days??

That's the mind set of a lot of Android users. Stuck in the past. There's a reason why Android uses a floppy disk icon for saving.

 

[WoodPeckr]

...although who really listens to terrestrial radio these days??

Well they still go in ten of millions of vehicles around the world.....:eyebrows:

 

[Tangwhich]

You guys are making it sound like this is some sort of divine revelation. It's been planned for a while now, so it's not exactly shocking. This isn't a victory for apple and it doesn't prove that steve jobs was "right".
The last time I used an ipad I wasn't able to view either of the two web pages I wanted to so I had to use my phone instead.

This isn't a case of adobe being 20 months behind, it's a case of apple diminishing their users experiences for 20 months. Longer actually. Adobe are not removing the mobile application and will continue to implement bug fixes if they are found. HTML5 isn't even close to being widespread, so while we're all waiting for that to happen, android (and RIM) customers can continue to view web pages that apple users still cannot. I've said it before and I'll say it again, flash maybe shit but it's everywhere and apple dictating to their customers what they can and cannot do with their property is bad business.

 

[djk]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, flash maybe shit but it's everywhere

Of course. Having everyone continue to use their shitty product will provide a great incentive to Adobe to vastly improve their product. After all, it worked so well on PC users.

http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=127743
http://news.yahoo.com/r-p-adobe-flash-crashes-wont-missed-161557320.html

apple dictating to their customers what they can and cannot do with their property is bad business.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPb9eRNyIrQ#t=03m35s

 

[Cobster]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPb9eRNyIrQ#t=03m35s

lol @ trying to make great products.
Wonder if that also included not putting a SD slot in their MBPs? Or not putting a microSD slot in their iPhones? lol
I also wonder how by NOT putting a SD/microSD slot makes a great product for a full experience?
Why not put those options in and let PEOPLE decide if they want to use the slots or not, CHANCES AREEEE.... people will use it and like having that kind of option.
Alas, no microSD slot = more content purchases vis-a-vis iTune$.


Like I've said a few times, being able to surf all sites and not get frustrated because I can't view flash based sites is great.
They wanna phase it out, that's fine, I'll STILL be able to view sites. WIN/WIN.

 

[Tangwhich]

I'm not the least bit interested in Steve Jobs opinion on Flash or anything else for that matter. If consumers want something, they should be able to have it. Period. Apple didn't have to include flash and it could warn users they don't recommend using it, but consumers should have a damn choice. They need clear guidelines for the app store and should not get to cherry pick what they do or do not like.

Flash is shitty and I won't argue otherwise. I look forward to a replacement, but it's been all over the internet for many years and still is. I can view anything on my phone now and I was constantly frustrated on my iphone (and my brothers ipad) with website that didn't work or didn't show everything. It's not going away any time soon. So I say again, apple have not done their users any favours here and still today users have a diminished web experience because a corporation dictates how they can use their property. It's wrong and it's the worst decision apple have made in recent years, even if the intentions are good.

 

[Max Webster]

I don't think this is because of apple specifically. Rather I think the announcement from microsoft that their upcoming windows 8 slates running arm processors would not support flash was adobe's ultimate undoing on flash.

 

[Cobster]

I'm not the least bit interested in Steve Jobs opinion on Flash or anything else for that matter. If consumers want something, they should be able to have it. Period. Apple didn't have to include flash and it could warn users they don't recommend using it, but consumers should have a damn choice. They need clear guidelines for the app store and should not get to cherry pick what they do or do not like.

Flash is shitty and I won't argue otherwise. I look forward to a replacement, but it's been all over the internet for many years and still is. I can view anything on my phone now and I was constantly frustrated on my iphone (and my brothers ipad) with website that didn't work or didn't show everything. It's not going away any time soon. So I say again, apple have not done their users any favours here and still today users have a diminished web experience because a corporation dictates how they can use their property. It's wrong and it's the worst decision apple have made in recent years, even if the intentions are good.

^^^ that, exactly that.

 

[djk]

I don't think this is because of apple specifically. Rather I think the announcement from microsoft that their upcoming windows 8 slates running arm processors would not support flash was adobe's ultimate undoing on flash.

Icing on the cake.

 

[djk]

If consumers want something, they should be able to have it. Period.

Anyone can make a product as they see fit. Consumers can decide to reward them by purchasing their product, or punish by abstaining from doing so.

That's also called choice.

 

[WoodPeckr]

Don't see why this is such a big Apple deal.
Over the years I've had very little problems with Flash on both Windows and Linux....:eyebrows:

Perhaps it's more of a Mac shortcoming.