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Steve Jobs to Adobe: Get with the times
When Steve Jobs fires off a missive on the Apple site he's usually making a specific statement around a larger issue that we've all been discussing for months. Remember his rant against DRM when all the world called foul on FairPlay? Today Steve dropped a big ol' bomb into the Flash pool by stating Apple's frustrations with Adobe, Flash and their view of the mobile space.In the letter, Steve points out Flash is a closed system, there are H.264 alternatives to Flash video and HTML5 and JavaScript are true open standards that Apple has embraced, while Adobe has continued to pour the juice into their proprietary systems. Yes, Steve points out that OS X is a proprietary OS. But despite Adobe's claims to have a proper, non-battery-sucking version of Flash on mobiles by 2009, they have yet to deliver and Steve calls them on it.
In a nutshell, Apple chastises Adobe for clinging to the past. In many ways they are right -- remember when Flash was a simple animation tool that created animations that were lighter than GIF animations?
Yes, at one point Flash was a simple, streamlined tool designed to bring balance to the Force. Instead, it has grown into a full platform when you factor in AIR, and I doubt Adobe has any intention to back down after spending a decade and billions on its continued development and success.
No matter how crufty the tool becomes, I'm sure Adobe will find a market for it for many years, like VRML or the Beatnik player. Either way it'll be interesting to watch these two elephants dance.
Comments
14
Subscribe to commentsscottixApr 29th 2010 11:57AM
Ya but how can they even begin to develop something for the iPhone OS when they can't even make it possible without Apple open the SDK for them. Seems like a Catch22.
EvenioApr 29th 2010 12:39PM
There's nothing stopping Adobe from *developing* it, but they already know Apple wouldn't let it on board once they did, so why bother? I mean, if they were REALLY spiteful (and they certainly haven't been anything else for years), they could release it for jailbroken devices just to show how "well" it ran.
scottixApr 29th 2010 1:11PM
Not true you don't have legitimate access to the Safari Plugin in the SDK.
JoshApr 29th 2010 12:13PM
This better not end with Adobe dropping Flash for OS X.
DarthNinjaApr 30th 2010 5:56AM
I would loooove to see that happen!
lyesmith.trashApr 29th 2010 12:32PM
Yes because Apple is sooo open. LOL
mkoApr 29th 2010 1:01PM
Steve Jobs talking about openness. It's end of the World.
3tearApr 29th 2010 1:55PM
Steve Jobs' thoughts on flash in flash: http://topherchris.com/post/558594718
RoccoApr 29th 2010 4:24PM
Literally the King of Closed Systems deriding Adobe for being too closed.
Adobe should just pull their entire Creative Suite because OSX is "too closed." I know what you smart Apple people are going to say, "Yeah, well everything creative ever done has been done on a Mac! It would bankrupt Adobe!" Yeah, well I'm not sure if you're aware, but anything from Adobe runs just as well on a PC. So unless the wrist cutting industrial design of the Macbook Pro is integral to you getting into the creative mindset, you could do all of the same work on a PC.
Justin 'Juarin' KingApr 29th 2010 5:33PM
This has nothing to do with operating systems. So whether OS X is closed or not has no place here. Rather, it is about open vs. closed web development. When it concerns that, Apple is open. Anyone recall Webkit? Adobe's Flash is not open...
That's what this argument is about. Stay on topic.
hazardApr 29th 2010 6:00PM
Gotta love the hypocrisy. The only "Open Standards" that Apple embrace are the ones where they either own the Patents or have some other vested interest. Years ago, Microsoft used to be the King of FUD, now Apple reigns supreme in the spreading of glorious FUD ..
Apple make great products but geez the more popular they get the more nasty they become.
ragtagApr 29th 2010 7:37PM
Jobs like to tout the limitations of Apple's systems as a great feature, and then a few years later, when they finally implement the damn thing, he touts it again as a great feature. The man is a spin master.
As for open standards, h264 is not a free format. It's under patents which are owned by MPEG LA, which in turn both Apple and Mircrosoft have big shares in. They've said they're not going to charge for it's use until 2015, but what happens then. It's like GIF and mp3 in the past, free for years, until everyone is hooked on it, then charge. Simply ticking time bombs just waiting to go off.
The real reason Jobs doesn't want Flash on the iDevices, is money and control. He wants to fully control where you get your software and get a small piece of the pie for each program you buy. He doesn't want you to be able to go out and find fun and free Flash or Java games online, circumventing his locked in ecosystem. It's just sad to see how many people fall for his charm.
k7of9May 1st 2010 2:06PM
Earth to Steve Jobs: quit being a hypocrite
DrakkenfyreMay 1st 2010 5:58PM
The irony of Steve Jobs criticizing something for being closed is huge.