Websites Going Flash Free for iPad, iPhone

[Michael Essany]

If there's one lesson we've clearly learned about Apple, it's that Cupertino gets what Cupertino wants. And what Cupertino wants at present is a smorgasbord of websites, mobile applications, and other digital content suppliers to crank out new flash-free offerings optimized for the iPad.

Apparently, Apple's wish is everyone else's command. Despite the consistent barbs from critics, Apple is successfully changing the way many websites would have otherwise functioned with Flash for the sake of capturing a chunk of the tablet's presumably large forthcoming audience.

Today, the world learned that both National Public Radio and The Wall Street Journal are also bucking large chunks of their Flash content and, instead, now working on iPad-specific versions of their websites.

NPR and the WSJ are in good company. As we recently witnessed, a growing number of companies - not even those confined to the publishing or broadcasting industries - are changing how they do business in order to accommodate how Apple is doing business. Virgin America recently endeared itself to iPhone users by removing all Flash content that would have impeded travelers from checking their flight status on the popular Apple smartphone.

While its premature to estimate if Apple's no-Flash posturing will do irreparable damage to Adobe, it is clear at present that companies want - and need - Apple. And if Apple goes without Flash, it seems so too will others - many others.

Image via tipb

[sk_anti35]

I am apple follow my commands!

[L00i3]

F'in pussies

[battlecrushr]

wow apple

[MetallicaFan1991]

That's stupid if companies give in to Apple! I want Flash player on my iPhone.

Why doesn't the MMi full site work on the iPhone, no matter how many times you click on Normal Version, it still gives me the iPhone site and I hate that, is it because there's flash on MMi

[aperry]

Apple reminds me of that person you work with who takes a position on something, gets proven 100% wrong, and continues to argue just for pride's sake, refusing to admit they're wrong in the face of insurmountable evidence to the contrary. Those people annoy everyone.

There's no reason for Apple not to make Flash an optional feature in mobile Safari.

[extremzocker]

world domination... its happening

[z3r01]

F'in pussies

lmao , why you say that, eff that i would rather have a less hoggy pluggin takin my resources then that fat ***** of an app called flash lmao..

That's stupid if companies give in to Apple! I want Flash player on my iPhone.

Why doesn't the MMi full site work on the iPhone, no matter how many times you click on Normal Version, it still gives me the iPhone site and I hate that, is it because there's flash on MMi

no, companies are seeing that they can use a standard format like HTML5 to do exactly what they want and not have to worry about user compatability. and by that i mean that there is people still out there with ****** computers that cant work with flash properly...


so if i was a bug company and say , hey i want a site that is gonna target every one hmmm...lets see..flash? only some computers and a limited number of phones....or html5 that works on anything with a browser..????hmmmmmmmm

HTML5 FTW!

[soulthoughts]

That's stupid if companies give in to Apple! I want Flash player on my iPhone.

Why doesn't the MMi full site work on the iPhone, no matter how many times you click on Normal Version, it still gives me the iPhone site and I hate that, is it because there's flash on MMi

Download useragent faker from cydia and you will get the full lversion.

[lolcats1]

does anyone actually know any good sites that use html5?

[aperry]

lmao , why you say that, eff that i would rather have a less hoggy pluggin takin my resources then that fat ***** of an app called flash lmao..



no, companies are seeing that they can use a standard format like HTML5 to do exactly what they want and not have to worry about user compatability. and by that i mean that there is people still out there with ****** computers that cant work with flash properly...


so if i was a bug company and say , hey i want a site that is gonna target every one hmmm...lets see..flash? only some computers and a limited number of phones....or html5 that works on anything with a browser..????hmmmmmmmm

HTML5 FTW!

Right, we know, HTML5 is the way to go and I don't think people are arguing this. In fact, I'm sure that in 5-7 years the majority of the websites that currently use Flash will have migrated to HTML5 or some other open standard.

Of course in 5-7 years we're talking about about the iPad version 5. I think people would like access to this content with iPad version 1. The "boated/battery-killer" arguments are weak as it's pretty easy to make Flash an optional switch in Settings. I don't think it's too much to ask.

[billchase2]

...and Flash continues to die a slow death.

I'm totally okay with that.

[MetallicaFan1991]

HTML5 isn't even here yet, ffs. I don't want to wait for 4 years to get full web browsing on the iPhone.
There's still no reason not to put Flash in for now and put an switch in Settings.

[z3r01]

people have grown to live without flash...just because u cant go to your myspace and access ur music or go to hulu or other flash sites that host movies, doesnt mean everyone else wants to (although i want to lol) but the fact of the matter is that i learned to live without it...at first i was like yea i need flash but really....its nothing...even if they put it on i might not use it...being real

[jiniej]

lol@soup nazi reference

[steve-z17]

Too many issues with flash. Even big companies like YouTube and Google are making HTML5 sites available for phone users, and with so many people using smartphones now they have the right idea.

[hancoma]

First phase of world dominion is complete!
Once we wipe up Google, deal with this pesky Nokia lawsuit, then make everyone buy wearable computing gear, we can implement phase two-
mwahahahahahah!!!

[GmAz]

**** apple

[iphoneguy.]

Why doesn't the MMi full site work on the iPhone, no matter how many times you click on Normal Version, it still gives me the iPhone site and I hate that, is it because there's flash on MMi

It's a redirection mod they use. It detects the device and directs you to the iPhone template. So every time you click that button it just redirects you back to the iPhone template. I use it too.

I could care less about Flash support. I have learned to live without it in my iPhone experience. Flash is pretty, flash is useful, and I do think iPhone users deserve a toggle.

But, why can't websites make two versions of there site? Desktop and mobile. Dekstop version can be all flash pretty and mobile is very basic.

The computers I've seen that can't stream a video or support flash content need to be thrown out.

[knguyen]

I wonder what Flash will do to a phone's processor, because it doesn't play nicely with my i7 920. You guys should monitor your CPU when Flash is on once in a while.