iPhone Users Want Flash! Well, according to Adobe...

[Jeff Campbell]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/news/comments/adobe-sees-7m-flash-requests-from-iphone-ipod-touch-in-dec/' target='_blank'>http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/ne...d-touch-in-dec/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Adobe has revealed there were more than 7 million attempts by iPhone and iPod touch users to download Flash from Adobe.com in December. Discussing the matter with the San Francisco Chronicle, Adobe claimed that the stat clearly shows demand for Flash from iPhone and iPod touch users, despite Apple's decision not to support the technology."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/at/auto/1265814763.usr105634.jpg" /></p><p>Well, you have to give them credit for never giving up I suppose. They also state that in June of 2009 there were only 3 million attempts. They don't specify if there were multiple attempts by the same user however, so who knows how many really tried.&nbsp;</p>

[possmann]

Yes I want flash - or flash-like capability but I value stability, speed, security (among other things) far more than just slamming flash in to existence.

Interesting to note that other Mobile OS devices DO NOT support flash either - coming to mind I think the new Windows Mobile OS and Android both don't support flash and (on another note) the new Windows Mobile OS also does not support multi-tasking...

Hmmm - I wonder why?

Maybe because Flash has a proven track record in puking things up! It's heavy and bloated (kind of like Windows code) and not built for today's mobility needs. It seems that the Adobe folks are resting on their laurels and waiting for the hardware and bandwidth speeds to increase. Trow enough hardware and bandwidth and you can mask the problem without having to do any work to fix the real issues...

I'm not mad that I don't have flash on my iPhone. I am mad at Adobe for addressing the larger issue of flash on mobile OS devices - regardless of which OS device it is...

[ptyork]

Interesting to note that other Mobile OS devices DO NOT support flash either

Flash 10.1 will be coming soon to Android (requiring 2.1) and to WebOS. WinMo and others have long supported Flash Lite (though that was pretty worthless since it didn't run in the browser).

the new Windows Mobile OS also does not support multi-tasking...

This is based completely on rumor coming from a single, unknown source. We'll find out soon enough, but it will be the final nail for WinMo if they give this up. I for one think this is total BS.

I'm not mad that I don't have flash on my iPhone. I am mad at Adobe for addressing the larger issue of flash on mobile OS devices - regardless of which OS device it is...

They've been working on this for a while now with the Open Screen Project and by working with most directly mobile OS providers on creating an optimized, in-browser experience. You do need to remember that mobile devices had HORRIBLE browsers prior to the advent of WebKit and processors capable of displaying a full web experience. Taking a couple years to get Flash integrated "right" isn't all that surprising or alarming. Remember that Flash is basically a mini-OS with a ton of features. I don't think they are sitting on their butts waiting, but there simply is a minimum amount of processing power required to make SWF's and streaming video work well.

[doogald]

One more thing to note is that Adobe just acknowledged that they had an unpatched crash vulnerability in Flash player since September 2008 that was just fixed in a beta release of 10.1 (so, still unpatched in 10, I believe.)

I think that Steve Jobs was right - Adobe seems like a lazy bunch.

See http://blogs.adobe.com/emmy/archives/2010/02/flash_bug_repor.html

[Sven Johannsen]

Just another case of, if Apple doesn't have it then you don't need it. Until they do have it, then it has never been done like this before.

[Macguy59]

More likely it's because they've been prompted to download it via a "click here" placeholder. But that doesn't sound as impressive ;)

[doogald]

Just another case of, if Apple doesn't have it then you don't need it. Until they do have it, then it has never been done like this before.

I have disliked Flash far longer than I have owned an Apple anything. If Adobe gets of their butts and actually makes an app that doesn't peg my CPU (and has fewer security updates than Windows), then I'll start being interested.