Is it time to dump apple?

[tomcrown1]

Apple Steve Jobs is full of it. He will not allow flash which is the internet standard-- Apple it is time for you to go away. Strange Microsoft is opening up their platform while Apple is closing their.

Here is some interesting read

Apple Gives Adobe The Finger With Its New iPhone SDK Agreement

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Much of the spyware / virus issues people are seeing as of late are being delivered by Flash as a hidden payload.

While I would like the ability to choose if I want to load Flash on my hardware, I can see Steve's reasoning why he dont want to support it. Many companies are now redesigning their website to support the iPhone / iPad and are getting away from Flash. Perhaps in the long run he was doing us a favor.

 

[meStevo]

Much of the spyware / virus issues people are seeing as of late are being delivered by Flash as a hidden payload.

Link? I'd think the leading cause of spyware is people clicking yes when random boxes pop up on their screen asking them to fix their computer still.

Apple is trying to lock out Adobe because allowing flash is a way to circumvent the app store, there's really nothing more to it.

The developer restrictions are taking this whole thing to the next level too, and is quite absurd.

 

[diogen]

The developer restrictions are taking this whole thing to the next level too, and is quite absurd.

I think for the first time in a long time Apple feels threatened - by Google.
They have hardly any overlapping interests with Microsoft for a while - don't really understand why they run this I'm a PC/I'm a Mac series, it hardly changed anything.

But as the Mac platform raises interest in the hacker community (as a target), Apple wants to protect it. And having practically zero experience fighting exploits, the simplest alternative way is to lock it up... And that's the direction Apple is taking.

Diogen.

 

[markd]

Apple is avoiding flash because Adobe version of flash for OS X is buggy. It CPU intensive. Pulls down the batteries on Mac Books. And makes Macs run hotter. If Adobe would fix flash for Mac and make work as good as it does on Windows then Apple might had thought different.

But it's to late now. HTML5 is going to be the new web standard. I see a lot of sites already converting.

 

[TheForce]

Dump Apple... in what respect, Tom?

Equipment or stocks?

Equipment- Flash is being withheld from Apple consumer devices because it is considered by Apple to be bloat and will hamper the speed, battery life and stability of it's functions. Apple considers that there are alternatives to Flash and knows now that because of it's increasing market share in consumer devices ( ipods, ipads, iphones) developers of websites and apps are avoiding Flash now in favor of the newer replacements, vis a vis html5.

Stock and company growth- Today, Adobe released CS5 yet it's stock fell nearly 1%. Is Flash key to CS5? I don't think so. I stopped upgrading at CS3 and never really got into Flash in my content work. Meanwhile, Apple continues to grow and has yet to repeat it's own history of falling back after a new product release. This time for over a week Apple continues to grow in share value. So, Adobe is a sell and Apple remains a buy.

Here's the way I look at it. Apple is growing in the direction of consumer ( non-geek ) people who simply want to do stuff in a 21st century way and not be bothered by the hassles of compatibility, BSD's, and complete setups and installs. They just want their content fast and easy and don't care if they get the app from itunes or from amazon, microsoft. As long as it does what they want and it was easy to get. Adobe needs to realize that if they want to remain in the content creation business, they will need to produce creation tools that build for what people want today, not try to force the industry to use an out of date tool from yesterday.

As a user- you need to decide if what you want is to be open and free but risky and complicated or simple and easy but tightly controlled and more expensive.

Personally, I will continue to buy Apple stock but use the products that suit MY NEEDS. In some cases, it will be Microsoft, and Google while others it will be Apple. I will also continue to buy Google stock as well as Microsoft. Adobe is not on my own or shopping list at this time, neither for stocks or products.

 

[meStevo]

It's down because one of the selling points was the ability to convert Flash-created appls into ipod/ipad compatible apps I believe.

 

[diogen]

As long as Google sticks to incorporating Flash into Chrome
Google bakes Flash into Chrome, hopes to improve plug-in API
and creates an Android version of its browser, rumors about Flash's death will be greatly exaggerated...

Diogen.

 

[lparsons21]

If I remember correctly, Flash is only on one of the smartphones now and not working well at all. Supposedly the newest, latest, freshest, but not yet out there, version of Flash will cure all ills. But that is a huge guess! Flash has always been a bit problematic and only made it this far because there were no good alternatives.

now there are and they are 'open' and free.

So it is about time Flash died and I think you will see over the next year that it will start flailing about.

all opinion, of course.

 

[meStevo]

Flash is where it is because it's simple and multiplatform.

You don't end up on 98% or whatever it is computers just because there's no alternative.

You also don't quickly and easily convert everything out there into HTML 5.

But hey, until then, sites will probably direct you to buy the $15 app instead of being able to view content most of us can view for free. So I guess there's a bright side.

It's awesome that even on their "ipad ready" list, many sites are incomplete because of their nice flash video delivery and other elements built and displayed by Flash.

Adobe addresses this with a simple disclaimer at the bottom of their 'iPad ready. site:

The above websites vary in their level of compliance with open web standards and in some instances may require a plug-in to view content.

Too bad the ipad doesn't support plugins. But apparently they're ipad ready anyways.

 

[lparsons21]

It appears that Apple's no flash on the iPad stance is making Hulu come around. Of course, that free site is looking to be a not-so-free site this year sometime.

It will take time to rid us of Flash, but it is in the makings right now. And yes, if there is no alternative, and you work good enough to get by, you get 98% penetration. See Windows for an example...

 

[harshness]

Much of the spyware / virus issues people are seeing as of late are being delivered by Flash as a hidden payload.

What manner of Flash payload is going to attack a wireless phone operating system? I dismiss this argument.

Many companies are now redesigning their website to support the iPhone / iPad and are getting away from Flash. Perhaps in the long run he was doing us a favor.

As a webmaster yourself, you can appreciate how difficult such a transition will be. Full implementation of HTML 5 is certainly not in the immediate future and you don't need something like that holding back your shot at reviving the PDA market.

It is good that Apple is trying to promote moving forward with Web standards, but they needed to do it with something better established than the iPad.

 

[tomcrown1]

Here is another article on Apple stance

Adobe Releases Software to Bolster Defense Against Apple's Jobs

 

[diogen]

Ironically, turning Flash into hackers delight is somewhat Adobe's fault...
Yes, Flash is buggy and it is technology Adobe bought, not developed, but the attention of the hacker community is their own "achievement"...

It all started with them assisting DOJ in arresting Sklyarov for showing what a miserable protection Acrobat PDF files have.
It was clear from the very beginning it was the wrong decision (and they have withdrawn themselves from the case a week later) but the damage was done.
At that point Jerry Pournelle (of the BYTE fame) said that going forward hackers will consider it their duty to hack every software Adobe will release. He was right...

And removing protection from PDF is still a piece of cake...

Diogen.

 

[diogen]

It doesn't look like Apple's Koolaid is everybody's favorite drink:
As Apple Barricades Flash, HDTV Embraces It | Epicenter | Wired.com

Diogen.

 

[meStevo]

The lawsuit Adobe is reportedly preparing should be interesting.