More than meets the Eye, Apple Mobile Products and Flash

29Jan/100

More than meets the Eye, Apple Mobile Products and Flash

Yesterday, Apple presented the iPad, a rather promising multimedia device, that will definitely create a new category of products in the market.

But the during the presentation, Apple's Steve Jobs navigated through several sites that contained Flash content. Like the iPhone, the iPad does not support Flash and one could see the missing-plugin messages on the iPad's screen.

What exactly is the reasoning behind Apple's decision to prevent Flash support on its iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad range of products?

Apple's Steve Jobs has been quoted as saying that Adobe's Mobile Flash is not suitable for the iPhone, that the iPhone would require a custom made version of Mobile Flash. Yet Flash appears to run rather acceptably on most other smartphones.

So is it really just an issue of performance, or are there other reasons behind Apples decisions?

I believe there are two main issues at play here.

On the one hand Flash does not fit in well with Apple's method of operation. Apple likes to control the entire user experience. It controls the design, hardware, software and the delivery platform.

For a company like Apple this has many positive effects. The products and services will perform as planned, and as designed. Essentially Apple offers its products and services in a closed ecosystem, or as it has been called, a walled garden.

The problem with Flash is that it too is a closed ecosystem operated by Adobe. For Apple to allow Flash on to their mobile products (and we are talking about the iPhone OS based range only) this would mean to allow someone elses walled garden into yours.

Apple can control its ecosystem through its iTunes delivery platform, and the necessary development tools, all of which it controls.

While its true that Apple allows third-party developers to offer in-app purchases, which in essence are mini walled gardens, nevertheless this all takes place insidie Apple's ecosystem, using Apple's delivery platform.

Flash on the hand, is a delivery model, and a development tool, that Apple has no control over.

And while Flash based applications would not run natively on the iPhone, they could still pose a threat to Apples carefully crafted and controlled walled garden.

Flash based applications could allow third-party developers to break free of Apple's direct control and allow them to create applications, services and delivery models otherwise not sanctioned by Apple.

This is probably one of the main issues preventing Mobile Flash from being supported on the iPhone OS based range of products.

The next issue is HTML5. For a long time, Flash was the only feasable way to develop interactive applications on the web and deliver streaming media.

This is all going to change. HTML5 will allow web developers to create interactive applications without being locked-in to Adobe's products. HTML5 also allows for easy media streaming without the need for Flash plugins.

Both YouTube and Vimeo already offer HTML5 media streaming, and more services will soon follow.

Apple is placing its bets on this development. Adobe's Flash will not doubt become less relevant in segments where it has, traditionally, been the dominant technology.

Unfortunately as is often the case, users are caught in the middle of such battles. The iPhone does not support Flash, and HTML5 based applications and services are going through a nascent phase with few sites offering them.

So we iPhone users will just have to wait and hope that things develop fast, one way or the other.