4 ms·

If this is truely their approach then the iPhone is going to start looking like a pretty lame platform within a few years. There will be too many cool and inter

by dejb 18y ago

If this is truely their approach then the iPhone is going to start looking like a pretty lame platform within a few years. There will be too many cool and interesting new things out there that just don't work on it.

olefoo 18y ago
This is why Android is such a big deal. Yes Apple delivered some real innovation in UI, particularly multitouch. But by trying to enforce lock-in they are eroding the value of their offering.
- Brushfire 18y ago
  Agreed. Everyone else commenting seems to be pointing out the technical hurdles / problems with a flash installation, but they are ignoring the huge business problem with NOT implementing it: customers want it. Eventually, phones are going to come along that allow free apps, your own music, flash, similar browsing experience, and a real keyboard... and smart people will start to switch back. In other words, the technical hurdles here are less important than the business ones. This is Jobs trying to have his iron grip, but in the long run, I dont see it working out.
  - yesimahuman 18y ago
    They might not sell apps/games...but that's better than not selling the phone in the first place!
- bestes 18y ago
  I disagree. I think the massive innovation on the Internet is due to the fact that it's easy to see the code for everything (HTML, CSS, Javascript). Flash (and Silverlight, etc.) are all attempts to hijack the Internet as we know it. They do offer a better experience, but at a cost (freedom, more code, less innovation, licensing fees, patents, higher costs).
allenbrunson 18y ago
in reality, this is a much, MUCH bigger issue than whether some random plugin is or isn't allowed on the iphone. i personally don't like flash. i think adobe has done a poor job of managing it, and that they are a bad steward of what has become the de facto multimedia platform of the web. based on his actions, it's possible to assume that steven p. jobs feels the same way. flash is very entrenched on the desktop, but it has yet to gain much of a foothold in the mobile world. by making the iphone a great big hairy obstacle to adoption, jobs just might derail a mobile future that is similarly dominated by flash. personally, i hope he succeeds!
- dejb 18y ago
  > in reality, this is a much, MUCH bigger issue than whether some random plugin is or isn't allowed on the iphone. That was my point. It is about whether you get to operate your phone the way you want. It is about the percentage of existing and future innovation you will be able to access. Without this the value of the platform will deteriorate. > i personally don't like flash. So you think you or Steve Jobs should get to decide if anyone else can use it. What sort of totalitarian utopia do you have in mind?
  - allenbrunson 18y ago
    Would you agree that jobs gets to decide how the iPhone works? Because that's what this comes down to. flash has always been a terrible experience on the mac. It sucks up ridiculous amounts of CPU, far worse than on Windows. Given the iPhones limited CPU, it would like be even worse there. By not giving in to adobe now, jobs is holding out for faster, better alternatives to emerge.
  - allenbrunson 18y ago
    Would you agree that jobs gets to decide how the iPhone works? Because that's what this comes down to. flash has always been a terrible experience on the mac. It sucks up ridiculous amounts of CPU, far worse than on Windows. Given the iPhones limited CPU, it would like be even worse there. By not giving in to adobe now, jobs is holding out for faster, better alternatives to emerge.
axod 18y ago
You consider flash cool and interesting??? Look at some of the awesome things going on with javascript+html5 - being able to do multitouch, canvas, video tag etc. That is the future, flash is likely to go the same way as Java applets IMHO Who wants java applets on their iphone browser? not me thanks.
- dejb 18y ago
  > You consider flash cool and interesting??? Not particularly no. The point is that new technologies come along all the time and if you they are going to ban anything they don't like they are going to miss out on a substantial proportion of interesting software. > Who wants java applets on their iphone browser? not me thanks. Me. Why not? I'd also like to able to run whatever the F* I like. Why should you or anyone else tell me what I can or can't run?
  - axod 18y ago
    Jailbreak it then and install flash.

by dejb 18y ago

olefoo 18y ago

This is why Android is such a big deal. Yes Apple delivered some real innovation in UI, particularly multitouch. But by trying to enforce lock-in they are eroding the value of their offering.

Brushfire 18y ago
Agreed. Everyone else commenting seems to be pointing out the technical hurdles / problems with a flash installation, but they are ignoring the huge business problem with NOT implementing it: customers want it. Eventually, phones are going to come along that allow free apps, your own music, flash, similar browsing experience, and a real keyboard... and smart people will start to switch back. In other words, the technical hurdles here are less important than the business ones. This is Jobs trying to have his iron grip, but in the long run, I dont see it working out.
- yesimahuman 18y ago
  They might not sell apps/games...but that's better than not selling the phone in the first place!
bestes 18y ago
I disagree. I think the massive innovation on the Internet is due to the fact that it's easy to see the code for everything (HTML, CSS, Javascript). Flash (and Silverlight, etc.) are all attempts to hijack the Internet as we know it. They do offer a better experience, but at a cost (freedom, more code, less innovation, licensing fees, patents, higher costs).

allenbrunson 18y ago

in reality, this is a much, MUCH bigger issue than whether some random plugin is or isn't allowed on the iphone. i personally don't like flash. i think adobe has done a poor job of managing it, and that they are a bad steward of what has become the de facto multimedia platform of the web. based on his actions, it's possible to assume that steven p. jobs feels the same way. flash is very entrenched on the desktop, but it has yet to gain much of a foothold in the mobile world. by making the iphone a great big hairy obstacle to adoption, jobs just might derail a mobile future that is similarly dominated by flash. personally, i hope he succeeds!

dejb 18y ago
> in reality, this is a much, MUCH bigger issue than whether some random plugin is or isn't allowed on the iphone. That was my point. It is about whether you get to operate your phone the way you want. It is about the percentage of existing and future innovation you will be able to access. Without this the value of the platform will deteriorate. > i personally don't like flash. So you think you or Steve Jobs should get to decide if anyone else can use it. What sort of totalitarian utopia do you have in mind?
- allenbrunson 18y ago
  Would you agree that jobs gets to decide how the iPhone works? Because that's what this comes down to. flash has always been a terrible experience on the mac. It sucks up ridiculous amounts of CPU, far worse than on Windows. Given the iPhones limited CPU, it would like be even worse there. By not giving in to adobe now, jobs is holding out for faster, better alternatives to emerge.
- allenbrunson 18y ago
  Would you agree that jobs gets to decide how the iPhone works? Because that's what this comes down to. flash has always been a terrible experience on the mac. It sucks up ridiculous amounts of CPU, far worse than on Windows. Given the iPhones limited CPU, it would like be even worse there. By not giving in to adobe now, jobs is holding out for faster, better alternatives to emerge.

axod 18y ago

You consider flash cool and interesting??? Look at some of the awesome things going on with javascript+html5 - being able to do multitouch, canvas, video tag etc. That is the future, flash is likely to go the same way as Java applets IMHO Who wants java applets on their iphone browser? not me thanks.

dejb 18y ago
> You consider flash cool and interesting??? Not particularly no. The point is that new technologies come along all the time and if you they are going to ban anything they don't like they are going to miss out on a substantial proportion of interesting software. > Who wants java applets on their iphone browser? not me thanks. Me. Why not? I'd also like to able to run whatever the F* I like. Why should you or anyone else tell me what I can or can't run?
- axod 18y ago
  Jailbreak it then and install flash.