HTML5 vs. Adobe Flash: Where do you stand?
The controversy for the “hearts and minds” of Web professionals heats up as press reports reflect that Steve Jobs goes public with a statement that Adobe’s Flash software has fallen short as a mobile technology. At issue is the public debate between the companies over the program used to create online video. Clearly, the case for HTML5 vs. Adobe Flash is sure to intensify in the weeks and months to come.
The Story Line
Apple has “few joint interests” with Adobe, Mr. Jobs said in a post on Apple’s Web page Thursday, citing six reasons he doesn’t want Flash for mobile devices. He called the program closed and proprietary, saying the decision to bar it from Apple’s devices is based on technology, not business.
Apple’s efforts to convince programmers to adopt other ways to get video to work on Web sites threatens Flash’s dominance. San Jose, Calif.-based Adobe is fighting for the hearts and minds of Web-site developers, many of whom view Apple’s iPhone, iPod Touch and newly released iPad tablet as platforms they can’t ignore.
HTML5, a standard Apple uses instead of Flash, is a “completely open” technology, said Mr. Jobs. HTML5 lets Web developers create graphics and animations without relying on third-party browser plug-ins, such as Flash, he said.
“Perhaps Adobe should focus more on creating great HTML5 tools for the future, and less on criticizing Apple for leaving the past behind,” Mr. Jobs said according to press reports.
Adobe highlighted the risks of exclusion from Apple’s iPhone and iPad devices for the first time in a regulatory filing this month, signalling the snub could hurt sales according t the report.
More than 75% of online videos run on Flash, and the software is installed on about 98% of personal computers connected to the Internet, according to Adobe. Flash also runs on more than 800 million mobile phones, manufactured by 19 of the top 20 handset makers — all except Apple.
I tend to agree with Mr. Jobs.
I tend to agree with Mr. Jobs.
Having read both arguments from the CEO’s of Apple and Adobe, I have to say that the arguments put by Steve Jobs were more convincing. While he spoke cogently about technologies and the future, Adobe’s CEO used more emotional language, and offered up vague arguments about “openness”. It will be interesting to see where all this ends up!
Having read both arguments from the CEO’s of Apple and Adobe, I have to say that the arguments put by Steve Jobs were more convincing. While he spoke cogently about technologies and the future, Adobe’s CEO used more emotional language, and offered up vague arguments about “openness”. It will be interesting to see where all this ends up!
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I have watched this issue unfold and have some concerns about Apple’s position. Frankly, HTML 5 has some great potential, but it is not yet even a recommendation with the W3C. Most browsers have limited support at this point. To believe that this is a technology which can be adopted today is rather uninformed. Perhaps a few years from now this will work out. However, the Flash ecosystem is something that exists today. It supports the concept of developing an application once and deploying it across many disparate devices. Many of the “problems” reported with Flash are actually due to those who wrote a given application. While it is not perfect, it is one of the few technologies which a practicing professional can rely upon today when there is a specific need (for example near pixel perfect alignment in various environments). It seems rather short sighted to not include such a dominant player at this point in time.
After reading both statements from Adobe and Apple, I agree with Jobs. It is without doubt that Adobe has been a closed environment for decades. For Adobe to now complain that Apple is closed is absurd. Have you ever tried to alter a PDF file without using an Abode product?
But what is more to the point here is the type of management style behind each company. Adobe has been slow to promote advancements until those technologies are commonplace to all platforms. That’s not leadership, but rather a method of reducing risk for their investors — it’s bean-counting.
Whereas, Apple has always been on the forefront of advancing technologies and taking risk — and having those risk pay off handsomely to more than cover the mistakes they have made.
As for me, I’ll go with a proven risk-taker over the bean-counter crowd any day. Advancement in technology is not waiting for others to approve. Go Jobs!