How a Flash-Heavy Website Looks Like on the iPad
May 10th, 2010
Apple claims that Safari on the iPad is the “best way to see the sites.” Well, here’s how Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 3 website looks like on the iPad:
Don’t bother squinting, there’s really nothing to see. This can be resolved in two ways: Either Apple starts supporting Flash, web developers stop being so overdependent on Flash, or at least offer an alternative version for devices like the iPad. Do you think the iPhone, iPad and similar devices will be popular enough to convince developers to ditch Flash? Or is really just a matter of time before Adobe’s software becomes extinct?
[via Daring Fireball]
Comments (11):
Post a Comment:
Categories: Computing Media Players Mobile Tech QuickPix Software Technology
So as both a web developer and an iPad user, let me get up on my soapbox here for a minute. I really don’t like Flash-heavy websites – never have. While Flash definitely has its place for things like video players and Flex-based apps for rich user interaction, Flash just for the sake of being cool has been way overused. That all said, there’s still a TON of it out there, and Apple is being very narrow-minded in cutting out support on their devices. All they are doing is forcing corporations and developers to spend many MILLIONS of dollars refactoring legacy applications, building logic to automatically detect browser and show different versions to iPad and iPhone users, and all in all costing us all money and time. HTML5 is really just in its infancy. Video support is very limited compared to some of the things out there that leverage Flash technologies like FMS, and the ability to build players that do things like trigger external events (or listen for events) is extremely limited at this point.
I know Apple has it in their minds that Flash could be a threat to the App Store, since people could build very rich apps without going through their walled-garden, but they really should leave the choice in the consumers and developers hands whether or not to use Adobe’s technology. If HTML5 DOES eventually exceed Flash’s capabilities, the development community will go there. And we will start building new apps without Flash. But for now, we have a gazillion apps out there that do use the technology, and it’s completely unrealistic to think that anyone other than companies with really deep pockets and unlimited resources will go back and refactor everything they’ve already built.
Apple, please kiss and make up with Adobe, and get over yourselves.
This is just about the only reason why I’m hesitant to buy an iPad (although it’s not yet available here in the Philippines). The lack of Flash support makes it awfully hard not only to play but also to work on the iPad. VNC apps offer a work around, but that’s not always a viable option.
Apple seems to be working on a Flash substitute , but just like HTML5, even if this turns out to be true it’s still quite a ways from being mainstream.
I agree with technabob, it seems very narrow minded of Apple to just eliminate all the flash sites still out there. I design/develop for a University and while we don’t have full blown flash sites like Toy Story, we do have a number of sites with some flash, especially image rotators. Now I’m warning everyone to avoid flash all around.
I also agree, Apple get over yourself.
If you are waiting for Apple to support flash, you could be waiting a while. Far quicker to wait for standards based web sites:
http://scitech.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/10/toy-story-3-website-as-seen-on-the-ipad/
Apple are 100% to blame here. Everyone else supports it and worked it out with Adobe. Why is Adobe being villainised here? They (Macromedia / Adobe) have made a huge contribution to the web and now because a technology manufacturer takes a dislike they are suddenly being questioned. The answer is really very very simple. ARROGANCE! If many developers have become dependent on it then perhaps its because its a good technology. Sure HTML 5 is wonderful but so what? Right now we use flash.
And you’re not prepared to accept that Flash may be part of the problem? Coupld it not be that Flash is buggy, creates security nightmares, holds back open web standards etc. Flash was very useful in its day, but that day has clearly passed. Even Adobe realises this. You can hold on if you like, but you will be left behind.
This is what steve jobs calls a full web experience….goodluck ipad owners
Yeah, cause no one would buy something that couldn’t run flash would they.
Hi! Thank you for this realy useful article! I’m just 21 so it helps me a lot!
Should have bought an Android device!
Adobe is stopping mobile flash development across the board. Even they realise that Flash on mobile devices was even worse than Flash on PCs.