European Commission Joins Investigation of Apple's Flash Exclusion Policies

[ten-oak-druid]

Crazy, absolute madness.

I don't care about the lack of Flash on my iDevices, in fact I quite like being able to browse without the annoyance of flash adverts. I've not found the lack of flash to be a problem at all.

The lack of flash adverts is a bonus I guess. On the other hand if it can be shown that banning flash is related to Apple's desire to monopolize ads with its iad service, then there might be legal trouble there.

Others have mentioned how Flash can be done well but many apps are written poorly. Perhaps Adobe needs to tighten up flash code so that poor apps do not compile.

 

[ten-oak-druid]

He speaks for iDevices owners at least... and that's what matters.

If someone doesn't like Apple policies about Flash on iDevices... Don't buy them. That's just as simple as that.

No its not as simple as that. This is a very closed-minded argument. There is always room for debate. If enough customers demand something, then they might get what they want. And you don't have to be a supporter of flash to see this.

 

[hwhalers]

So, a hardware manufacturer/software publisher is supposed to be forced to support and publish software produced with an unauthorized development environment? Sony doesn't have to do this for PS3 titles, and neither will Apple have to. And a software developer is supposed to be forced into adopting and deploying a non-open standard? For some reason that position strikes me as untenable for people that idolize Android's supposedly open nature.

If Apple's ever forced to allow the installation of unsigned applications, they'll probably have two modes for a device. A normal mode which allows the use of encrypted third party applications and the syncing of protected media, and an unsupported mode which allows sideloading of only unencrypted applications, no App Store, and is completely unsupported.

On the other hand if it can be shown that banning flash is related to Apple's desire to monopolize ads with its iad service, then there might be legal trouble there.

iAd is purely in-App, flash banner ads are purely in websites. Two entirely different markets.

 

[Salacion]

As they say... the trend is your friend. The trend for iOS is down and up for Android. Sure Apple is having healthy sales now, just like AOL and their walled garden did ten years ago. In a few years time, iOS will be a marginal player in the field.

That's great! But I don't understand, how does this affect you, and why do you care so much?

Not that it matters... and not that I, or anyone else on this forum, actually give a rats ass about your opinion.

 

[CFreymarc]

"Those who can't innovate, litigate."

 

[KindredMAC]

MAKE FLASH A FRIGGIN' SLIDER BUTTON IN THE SAFARI PREFS FOR GOD'S SAKE!!!!

I can turn off JavaScript, Pop Up Block and Fraud Warning already!!! Why not add Flash to that list???? And while we are at it, make it OFF as Default!

That should make EVERYONE happy....

If you don't want it, LEAVE IT OFF!
If you do want it, SLIDE IT ON!

simple.

 

[Stella]

Crazy, absolute madness.

I don't care about the lack of Flash on my iDevices, in fact I quite like being able to browse without the annoyance of flash adverts. I've not found the lack of flash to be a problem at all.

What are you going to do with HTML 5 adverts - that can't be turned off?\

Whats wrong with giving the consumer a choice - if they want to install it - let them , if they don't like flash, don't install it?

If Flash leads to bad performance then the user can simply uninstall the app - simple isn't it?

 

[nascimento]

It's not like Apple has any kind of monopoly in the mobile communications, online or computing space. This is unnecessary.

The problem is that these socialist thinking busybodies think they have the backing of 500 million europeans. They have tasted blood and have won in most cases.

Dont get me wrong there has to be an organization that regulates anti-competitive practices, my worry is that I dont know how these decisions are being made and who is behind them.

I dont want them to politicize these issues to their way of thinking. Grey, PC, standardized, socialistic, we know best, sad ideals.

Have you ever seen a socialist admit he was wrong??????

 

[skellener]

Did the European Commission actually listen to Steve's D8 interview? They really should. He says why Flash isn't on the iDevices.

 

[kernkraft]

Freedom for Apple Inc and 'Shut The F Up' for the rest of us?

For having an avatar of Live Free or Die, you make a rather freedomless proposition. Freedom means that Apple may regulate its products however it damn well pleases. And the consumer may choose to buy that pruduct, if they want, or not. No one has a "right" to Flash on their iPhone any more than they have a right to Windows phone 7 on their iPhone. I'm not mindlessly defending Apple, the same would apply to Microsoft, I am unequivocally defending freedom.
U
S
A

That is a very liberal interpretation of the term 'freedom'. Are you suggesting that freedom means that the state should also be free to do whatever they want?

Freedom only makes sense if it is in the hands of individuals, whether they are citizens or consumers. If freedom is only enjoyed by the stronger party, that is not freedom.

 

[whooleytoo]

The lack of flash adverts is a bonus I guess. On the other hand if it can be shown that banning flash is related to Apple's desire to monopolize ads with its iad service, then there might be legal trouble there.

Others have mentioned how Flash can be done well but man apps are written poorly. Perhaps Adobe needs to tighten up flash code so that poor apps do not compile.

Of course, if Flash "dies", people will just make animated web adverts in HTML5/CSS/Javascript instead. They're very unlikely to 'go away'. And in fact, it might be harder to hide/block those adverts than Flash adverts.

You raise a good point about iAd; I wonder if that's the focus of the investigation: Apple effectively blocks Flash from the iPhone, and then offers a service (iAd) which benefits from the lack of competition from Flash ads.

It's important to recognise too - Flash has two elements, a developer environment and cross-platform runtime environment. Taking existing Flash sites/games/RIAs and using them on a touch device wouldn't work that well. But as a developer, I'd love to be able to develop native iPhone apps, using the Flash developer tools.

 

[iCantwait]

THE EU ARE ARE BUNCH OF ********** COMMIES.

/rant

 

[Amazing Iceman]

Good. Apple is wrong to ban one of the most widely used and accepted technology on the web TODAY.

If you don't like Flash, you can uninstall it. But why not have the freedom to choose?!

Apple doesn't want certain people giving them bad publicity after his device starts to crawl and overheat for running a hog called Flash, nor they want whiners calling support to complain their iPhones are slow after installing Flash.

Is their right to protect the user experience. That's why I didn't get a Netbook, which is prompt to crash due to all the Windows junk in it.
I know for sure that every time I turn on my iPad, it works; doesn't crash, doesn't crawl.

Definitely Flash wasn't named after speed, rather to a powerful photo flash: once you see the Flash, you can't see anything that's happening for a few minutes.

Even my HTC phone supports flash, but it gets really slow.

When Adobe gets it working properly, then I want Apple to implemented into the iOS. Currently, forget it!
Just ask the Jailbreakers' forums how well their iOS devices run Flash, and you'll understand.

 

[i.mac]

Good. Apple is wrong to ban one of the most widely used and accepted technology on the web TODAY.

If you don't like Flash, you can uninstall it. But why not have the freedom to choose?!

Once again: you have a choice. What you and others lack is the capacity to choose wisely.

 

[GQB]

The nature of government is very much like that of the mafia. They claim its for "your protection" but really the group that will do violence to you if you don't pay is the government itself.

Ah yes... those blanket statements we all know and love, kinda like 'the free market always works best', and 'corporations don't need regulation because its against their self-interest to act badly'.

Right.

(Note... I nevertheless think the investigations are a crock, but will go nowhere. Adobe can't point to a working version of Flash that should be used. And no other mobile device supports it. The 'crime' by Apple is saying it out loud.)

 

[kernkraft]

THE EU ARE ARE BUNCH OF ********** COMMIES.

/rant

You are from Australia. Do you even know what the EU is? Do you even know what commies are? You haven't got first-hand experience of any of them, have you?

 

[GQB]

That's great! But I don't understand, how does this affect you, and why do you care so much?

Not that it matters... and not that I, or anyone else on this forum, actually give a rats ass about your opinion.

You can always tell folks who get their 'knowledge' from bumper stickers and blogs by their buzz phrases.
'Walled Garden'
'Google is open'
'Apple Fanboys (or better, Fanbois')

 

[Hyata]

Flash opponents are losing this argument badly. Some of you people love Steve Jobs way too much.

 

[carlgo]

The EC is very attuned to monopolistic practices. They went after MS a few years ago.

Somehow, they see the flash thing in that light. Apple is a walled community, often under siege by those who want to get in, and so there will always be these issues.

Wait until iPhones and other Apple mobile products are available on every network, available to far more people than they are now. Apple will be subject to more and more scrutiny as they gather more and more power and influence.

 

[Supermacguy]

All these kinds of regulations are a form of a shakedown racket. Either the threat of a regulation is used to elicit payoffs, or the act of regulation means that every election after that the politicians can come calling on Apple for money with the implied threat that they will turn the screws tighter if Apple doesn't pay up.

The nature of government is very much like that of the mafia. They claim its for "your protection" but really the group that will do violence to you if you don't pay is the government itself.

Off topic, but that's how gov't works. Gov't is the people. The gov't can only do 2 things to enforce laws: kill/harm/imprison the people/corporations who disobey the law (physical detainment), or they tax you, giving you incentive to do so much of whatever you're doing. And this is, in essence, the will of the many enforcing social rules upon those who are not treating others fairly.
The Gov't is elected for all the people, while the mafia only looks out for their own family; or even turns on their own if they don't like them. So your analogy is a little flawed.

 

[bigrob66]

Choice

Good. Apple is wrong to ban one of the most widely used and accepted technology on the web TODAY.

If you don't like Flash, you can uninstall it. But why not have the freedom to choose?!

Thank you.

Flash was not originally designed to run on mobile devices like smartphones, so I understand the current lack of interest, but if, no, *when* it is redesigned to run on them efficiently, how will the anti-Flash crowd rationally explain its resistance?

I use it frequently on PC's and Macs (in Firefox) and don't have issues. But that's just me.

Apple occasionally denies its customers the "freedom to choose." Blu-ray? No. Matte screen on the iMac? No. Of course, you can go to other vendors, but then you can't use OS X. At least without breaking the license agreement. Nor can you use iOS, without jailbreaking.

The antipathy against Flash and Blu-Ray in the Apple community is strange - and pretty much unique to Apple users, which suggests at least some lack of objectivity.

 

[parapup]

Apple doesn't want people like someone I rather don't mention to be giving them bad publicity after his device starts to crawl and overheat for running a hog called Flash.

Definitely Flash wasn't named after speed, rather to a powerful photo flash: once you see the Flash, you can't see anything that's happening for a few minutes.

So it's the iDevices at fault? I don't have any "crawl" or "overheat" problems on my Nexus One and I use Flash 10.1 BETA since 2.2 came out.

A silly reason from a wise man is never the true one -- James Madison

 

[Chupa Chupa]

 

[troller]

I only know one thing....watching youtube videos on my mac is a ****ing joke!!! fffffFFFFFFFFFFSSSSSSSSSSSS Jailbreaks and HAckintosh is the future...I give a **** about this apple rules.

 

[beltzak]

This is really wrong

I am European and don't know why you all haters of flash are so mind closed. The EC is just goint to investigate if there is any harm competition and some of you are just blind with what Steve says.

Adobe wrote some software for the iphone and Apple banned because they wanted. Opera wrote a mobile browser for the iphone and they banned it as well.

If someone wants to make bussiness with IOS but Apple doesn't like it or feels that is going to be competitive they ban and that's all.

And I'm really happy when EC fined Microsoft with anticompetitive trial. Just because the USA government thought it was better to leave it alone and ****ed the whole world with it's practices.

And I know i going to be blessed on this forum but hey, I think that USA is a country where the freedom is only a thing you can buy with money. Is one of the worst country in the world if you don't really have money.

By the way, I'm a big supporter of Apple, it's obvious that it is one of the best companies doing what it does. But that does not mean everything it does is perfect or good by choice. And I don't like flash, but damn my friend does like it. Should I kill him? Obey him no to use it? That's what you "mind closed" call freedom?

Don't be hard on me.