Adobe opens iPhone to Flash, tsunami of crapplets to ensue
Before the end of 2009, the San Jose, CA-based imaging software giant will release Flash Pro CS5, allowing developers to create rich, interactive applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch — the same crap that chokes and crashes your computer today. Thereupon, given that 80,000 of the 85,000-plus apps already available on the App Store might charitably be described as “junk,” what chaos will the Flash developer community — millions of coders — reek on on the platform?
Adobe has announced that it has ‘opened the iPhone to Flash developers,’ which most bloggers and news outlets seem to be welcoming. This is astounding and not because of all the wondrous new features and functionality coming to the iPhone.
What does it mean to Adobe? John Loiacono, senior vice president says:
Adobe Creative Suite is essential for designers and developers worldwide, and touches virtually all the content and applications that enable products, brands and ideas to stand out above the clutter. This is a breakthrough for Flash customers who can now leverage their existing content and expertise to target the iPhone, along with other Flash-supported devices. [Ed—Emphasis added]
Mind your step, those aren’t chocolate buttons…
There was quite an outcry before Apple finally banished Khalid Shaikh’s Perfect Acumen, a firm that produced and somehow got well over 900 apps past Apple’s App Store grannies, hundreds of which were written in whole or part using stolen code. Moreover, only a handful of Perfect Acumen’s apps actually were useful.
Thereupon, is there anyone policing the Adobe Flash developer community? Will Apple increase its Apple Store granny corps by the 10, 15 or even 20 fold needed just to give the tsunami of standalone Flash “crapplets” the same level of scrutiny Perfect Acumen received? We’re talking about orders of magnitude here.
The addition of millions of Adobe Flash developers to the already huge, growing and unruly iPhone developer community will make the platform a better place? Ultimately, the calculus just doesn’t work.
The iPhone has succeeded where every other mobile platform has significantly failed because it’s got the right and delicately balanced mix of openness (i.e. 85,000 apps) and walled garden (i.e. brigands like Shaikh get tossed). But given the already chaotic, ill-defined and very often incompetent app screening process, Adobe Flash on the iPhone now — which brings with it perhaps tens of thousands of brigands creating millions of individual crapplets and no native vetting process — is a recipe for disaster…
What’s your take?
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October 6th, 2009
“crapplets” – Brilliant word!
October 6th, 2009
Adobe will not rest until it has managed to ruin ALL computer apps with Flash. Flash is not only NOT necessary, but unwanted most places where it already is. Just another ploy for Adobe to gain control where it has (and deserves) none.
Bring back John Warnock!
October 6th, 2009
I want flash support in the browser only.
I’m sick of going to sites only to get a stupid message saying you need flash player!
October 7th, 2009
Hi.
Flash Programmer here.
My take is… I can’t wait to flood your beloved AppStore with my “crappets”.
Like it or not, I’m coming to an iPhone near you veeery soon
October 17th, 2009
@ Jay love your sense of humour m8 made me really laugh… & yes all I want flash for is the blo*dy browser lol