Adobe slates apple in latest war of words regarding flash

May 15, 2010

If you weren’t aware of this already Apple & Adobe have been at loggerheads for sometime regarding the use of flash technology (this is used on many web sites for video & animations).

Here’s an example of flash in use with this clock (showing UK GMT). If your veiwing this on an iphone expect to see a blank or a bit of blue lego!

Steve Jobs (Apple CEO) has defended Apples decision not to allow Adobe’s Flash technology on most of its products e.g. iPhone, ipad etc having concerns about the technology being closed & not performing well on mobiles devices.

Quote “While Adobe’s Flash products are widely available, this does not mean they are open, since they are controlled entirely by Adobe and available only from Adobe.”

However in April Apple also removed the tools that allow app developers to convert Flash code to run on Apple gadgets. Apple have also now removed the little bit of blue Lego (see this amusing dig at Apples refusal to use flash HERE) that denotes that that area of the web page cant be displayed (at least on the Ipad).

This move has been seen by many as an aggressive affront to Adobe and possibly an attempt to kill flash although Jobs claims this is simply because Flash apps are sub standard (has he seen some of the rubbish that makes it onto the app store?)

This had led to a lot of criticism of Apple as app developers now have to create two apps one for Apple products and one for the rest of the mobile market!

In response the founders of Adobe Chuck Geschke and John Warnock have now published an open letter regarding the Apple/Adobe dispute!

Adobe have also started an adverting campaign with the tongue-in-cheek slogan “We heart Apple”

These adverts have appeared in New York Times and the Financial Times and on web sites such as Wired and Engadget as shown below (Credit: Adobe).

Adobe claim that Apple threatens to undermine the very future of the web!

Heady stuff indeed!

Adobe have responded “No company – no matter how big or how creative – should dictate what you can create, how you create it, or what you can experience on the web.”

“If the web fragments into closed systems, if companies put content and applications behind walls, some indeed may thrive – but their success will come at the expense of the very creativity and innovation that has made the internet a revolutionary force.”

The new letter from the co-founders of Adobe attacks Mr Jobs’ assertion that Flash is a closed system.

“We publish the specifications for Flash — meaning anyone can make their own Flash player,”

“We believe that Apple, by taking the opposite approach, has taken a step that could undermine this next chapter of the web – the chapter in which mobile devices outnumber computers, any individual can be a publisher, and content is accessed anywhere and at any time.”

“In the end, we believe the question is really this: Who controls the world wide web? And we believe the answer is: nobody — and everybody, but certainly not a single company.”

Let Appertunity readers know your thoughts on this issue with a comment…