I was stunned to find out that Apple’s latest gadget, the iPad, does not support Flash. Why? Because Flash-based web designs have exploded in popularity the past several years. This has been due, in part, to the fact that some of the past arguments against Flash are no longer valid. Times have changed and technology has evolved, making the Internet more Flash-friendly.
Why We Hated Flash
Years ago, one of Flash’s biggest strikes against it was that it used a lot of bandwidth. Web sites containing Flash took forever and a day to download on a slow Internet connection, but high speed Internet has become the norm (at least in most areas of the United States).
Another argument against Flash was that it was not search engine friendly. However, since mid-2008 Google has been able to index text and follow URLs contained in SWF files. It’s true that other search engines might not be able to index Flash, but that doesn’t have much relevance as long as Google continues to dominate the search world.
Finally, Flash requires a plug-in in order to work. But these days, many computers come with the plug-in already installed. If not, the user is normally prompted to download Flash and provided with a link to the download page, making it easy for most people to install it.
So why did an innovative company like Apple purposely leave out a technology that is so widely used?
Why the iPad doesn’t support Flash
As far as I know, Apple hasn’t released a statement as to why the iPad doesn’t support Flash. However, there is a lot of speculation going on in the blogosphere. Here’s a summary of what other people are saying:
- Flash is a resource hog. It uses a significant amount of CPU and drains the battery. The iPads 10 hour battery life would be significantly reduced if it supported Flash. Mac OS X users have long complained that Flash freezes up their browser or crashes their computer. Maybe Apple thought that eliminating Flash meant eliminating headaches.
- HTML5 has the potential to replace Flash. HTML5 allows you to embed audio and video directly into a web page without using a plug-in. It also works along with Javascript to allow you to insert interactive animations - no Flash required. See a cool example of an HTML5 animation here.
- Flash is a usability nightmare. I recently experienced this first-hand with an online shopping cart that was completely designed in Flash. Navigation was a disaster. I couldn’t use the back button without being forced to completely start over. When I tried to use the search box to find an item, it stalled…and I once again had to start over.
- Security is questionable. Flash security flaws exist that have been deemed unpatchable by Adobe themselves. How scary is that?
Many anti-Flash commentators also pointed out that Flash blockers are some of the most highly downloaded add ons for Firefox and other browsers. Flashblock, for example, has been downloaded more than 8 million times. This leads me to believe that although the use of Flash has increased, not everyone has embraced it.
So the question remains: Is Flash about to make a quick exit or are Web designers so used to relying on this technology that they will be resistant to change? Will Apple’s non-support of Flash help force their hand? Only time will tell.
What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments box and let’s discuss it!
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I hate Flash, always have. Even though I now have broadband (well, sort of…it’s a lower tier DSL connection), it still takes a long time to download. Also, I don’t find it to be user-friendly, especially when I’m trying to look at the sales flyers for my local stores and make a shopping list. If the site gives me a choice between viewing in HTML and viewing in Flash, I always opt for HTML
Why is that? With Firefox and HTML, I can right-click on any of the sale items and open them in a new tab. Meanwhile, I still have the sale flyer on my first open tab. I can continue going back and forth this way until I’m finished browsing. On sites where only Flash is available, whenever I want more info on a certain sale item, I have to click on it, go to a new page, and then go back to where I was before. On some site, each time I return, I’m taken to the beginning of the sale flyer.
This is incredibly frustrating, annoying, and a waste of my time. I for one will be happy if Flash disappeared forever.
Hi Nightshadow,
I completely agree with you. I think that Flash has its uses, but more often than not, it creates usability issues. I also choose HTML over Flash whenever I have that option. I’m very excited about HTML5 and hope we’ll see it being used more and more and Flash less and less.
Viki
I knew that eventually there would be an HTML 5 (I learned HTML 4), but since I haven’t been keeping up with this stuff (too busy with graphics programs), I didn’t know what was coming down the road. HTML 5 sounds very interesting. I’m guessing there will be new classes available at LVS?
Now all I need is the time to take them.
I’m sure that LVS will be teaching HTML5. And hopefully the next version of Dreamweaver will support HTML5 as well. Lots to look forward to!
The new proposed HTML5 recommend date is 2022, ten years down the road HTML5 may be viable. You do realize that all the cool stuff in HTML5 is done with DOM coding, right?