The report of my death was an exaggeration.
Mark Twain, New York Journal, June 2, 1897
In April 2010, Steve Jobs published his “Thoughts on Flash” statement ( http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughts-on-flash/) and thereby codified Apple’s opposition to support of the Flash player on their mobile operating systems. This act culminated a back-and-forth sally of couched taunts and threats between Adobe and Apple, and it predictably added fuel to the already heated debate between those who advocate and those who oppose Flash.
Setting aside many of the obviously irrelevant considerations — yes, Flash is used in ways that can annoy some users, just as HTML5 will no doubt be used in similar ways once its adoption allows for such abuse — there are legitimate questions concerning the future of Flash and HTML5. While predictions are always a tricky business (especially about the future, as Yogi Berra would say), a clearheaded perspective on the current situation must take into account the following points:
• HTML5 is indeed an open standard, but Apple’s recent demonstrations of “HTML5” video and graphics were not conformant to all browsers’ implementation of it. (In fact, Apple’s demos required their own Safari browser to run.)
• Most browsers don’t support even the most browser-friendly version of HTML5 ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_layout_engines_(HTML_5))
• The reason for non-standard support of ostensibly standards-compliant HTML5 pages, even among supposedly enabled browsers, can be partly traced to the unresolved nature of the HTML5 spec itself, which is described as a “working draft” ( http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/)
• Typography and vector graphics solutions are unevenly implemented and/or adopted across browsers. (Flash has featured an industry-leading vector graphics and timeline animation engine since the mid 1990s.)
• Javascript has fallen behind the ECMAScript standard, which has in turn fallen behind Adobe’s ActionScript language
• The Flash plug-in is supported by 98+ % of all browsers, while HTML5 content is displayed properly in an estimated 40%.
• Google/YouTube have officially come down on the side of Flash support over HTML5 as their video delivery platform of choice (http://apiblog.youtube.com/2010/06/flash-and-html5-tag.html)
That said, there are contexts in which HTML5 is the only viable rich media delivery technology, and Javascript libraries such as jQuery can be used for a wide variety of animation and interaction purposes. In addition, Brightcove offers video player solutions that use “smart embedding” to choose either Flash or HTML players automatically based upon the user’s browser configuration.
Organic will continue to respond to user agent requirements on the fly by displaying appropriate content for the user’s viewing technology. When this set of requirements excludes Flash, Organic will ensure that a non-Flash alternative is automatically served. Where Flash is viable (in more than 98% of existing computer browsers), Organic will use the appropriate technology to deliver the most immersive, meaningful, and exceptional experience to Web users.
Our technology decisions will always be based foremost upon our customers’ need to engage their own customers. The Web browsing landscape has always been a shifting terrain, and we will keep up with it — by striving to support the best technologies available to every user.
Peter Balogh
Team Lead, Technology
Comments
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I’m a Flash Developer. Just wanted to get that out of the way up front. =)
The Apple/Jobs opposing Adobe/Flash situation has changed a bit recently. Apple has lifted the ban on iPhone/iPad (iOS) AIR apps developed and compiled with Flash CS5. I already had one app and an update to an app I submitted before the ban approved. So Apple has backed down a bit. They are still sticking firm to their anti-Flash campaign within the mobile Safari browser though.
I have an Google Nexus One (Android 2.2.1) w/ Flash Player and I’ve been very surprised by how well Flash works within the browser! I think Apple will eventually change their tune on this issue as well. My only beef with HTML5 how time consuming it is for me to create simple interactive animations, whereas with Flash it literally takes me 10-15 minutes to develop.
As I’m sure Apple will eventually allow Flash, I’m certain HTML5 animation will get simpler. In the past 12 months Apple has been setting limitations, restrictions, thou shalt not do this or that, etc… As a developer, I favor technologies and companies that allow me to do whatever I please. Hence why I’m such a large fan of Google & Android.
I loved your comment.
It’s imperative here to understand the point you just made with favoring companies that develop and invest in technologies and strive to keep our fundamental freedoms intact.
Google and others seem more akin to this at this very moment.
Cheers.
Would have been nice to share this insight when the sh*t hit the fan 6 months ago. There are people dictating how landscapes should be built without a mind for themselves. It’s really irritating.
The purpose of Stevie’s rant was to rally his irrational consumer drones into a single thought before he released his new phone that “changes everything again”. Unfortunately it just impedes progression and innovation. Not to say Apple isn’t innovative. Of course it is. They just want to own “innovation” outright.
This whole conversation shouldn’t even include Apple. Websites on mobile devices should have their own style sheet or an app if you really NEED to engage the user on a mobile device. Otherwise, there are these things that are readily available and accessible called… computers.
None the less, it’s good to hear a voice of reason. Hopefully more people will be able to discern marketing mud slinging from actual here/now facts. When they stop standing behind a company’s poor propaganda and think for themselves, it will be a glorious day. I won’t hold my breath…