Huge battery drain with Flash 11.3?

[JPamplin]

Folks,

Adobe says that the GPU in the i5 and i7 are supported for hardware acceleration in Flash Player 11.3. Yet when I turn on a flash video like The Daily Show or Colbert, I swear I lose 60% of my battery after less than an hour on my 2011 MBA 11".

Crappy battery capacity or is Flash still a battery hog?

Thoughts?

 

[TheRealDamager]

Flash still sucks.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Yeah, are you surprised? Flash sucks. That's why it wasn't included on the iPhone. Not only that, but it's security track record is terrible.

Yes, do anything flash related on anything with a battery and you'll cut the battery life down by 90%. End of story.

 

[GGJstudios]

Flash still a battery hog?

This ^. For Flash-related issues:

• Find your Flash version and make sure it's the latest version available. Never install or update Flash from a pop-up on a website. Always go to Adobe's site to get Flash or updates.
• Install ClickToFlash (Safari), Flashblock (Firefox) or FlashBlock (Chrome) to control which Flash content plays on websites.
• Try using the YouTube HTML5 Video Player to watch YouTube videos, when available. (May impact fullscreen viewing. See link for details.) Some have reported better performance with HTML5, while some have reported worse. Try it and find out what works best for you.

This should answer most, if not all, of your battery/charging questions:

Apple Notebook Battery FAQ​

 

[stchman]

Yeah, are you surprised? Flash sucks. That's why it wasn't included on the iPhone. Not only that, but it's security track record is terrible.

Yes, do anything flash related on anything with a battery and you'll cut the battery life down by 90%. End of story.

Somebody's been listening to the Apple propaganda machine.

The overwhelming majority of security risks in today's computers are the users.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Somebody's been listening to the Apple propaganda machine.

The overwhelming majority of security risks in today's computers are the users.

Weren't some of the first Android viruses flash based? I've read it took Adobe months to address known security issues. As much as you'd like to strike me as an Apple Fanboi I'm hardly that. Used an Android for 3 years before I tried my first bitten apple...

Agree with your second statement 100%.

 

[stchman]

Weren't some of the first Android viruses flash based? I've read it took Adobe months to address known security issues. As much as you'd like to strike me as an Apple Fanboi I'm hardly that. Used an Android for 3 years before I tried my first bitten apple...

Agree with your second statement 100%.

I've been using Android based phones now for over two years and have not gotten this Android virus you speak of. A lot of security risks in the Android arena are people that root their phones for the heck of it while not knowing what they're doing.

I separated myself from Windows on the home front over 5 years ago (Ubuntu) and have been successfully using Flash ever since. No viruses.

Is Flash a pig, yes, but it is still the best thing to use if you want to get the most from Flash based websites.

Since there are no Apple viruses out in the wild (according to the folks on this forum), the end user is the one that has to ultimately let the malicious code onto his/her system.

 

[Calot]

Somebody's been listening to the Apple propaganda machine.

The overwhelming majority of security risks in today's computers are the users.

What in the poop are you doing in MacBook Air forums? Flash is a piece of doodoo. It consumes TOO much battery and resources, HTML5 is 78 times better.

Use your little brain a little bit.

 

[GGJstudios]

HTML5 is 78 times better.

False! It's 79.3 times better!

 

[stchman]

What in the poop are you doing in MacBook Air forums? Flash is a piece of doodoo. It consumes TOO much battery and resources, HTML5 is 78 times better.

Use your little brain a little bit.

I actaully OWN a MBA, go read my previous posts.

Yes, HTML5 work so well on Flash only websites, I stand corrected.

Can you state facts as to why Flash is a piece of "doodoo" other than "Apple told me so"?

 

[Calot]

I actaully OWN a MBA, go read my previous posts.

Yes, HTML5 work so well on Flash only websites, I stand corrected.

Can you state facts as to why Flash is a piece of "doodoo" other than "Apple told me so"?

I have something called a brain.

Having a MBA does not make you smart.

Check your activity monitor when you are viewing flash videos.

Flash is well-known for being a resource hog and NOT being efficient.

Apple banned Flash not for being flash, but for being too much resource-hungry.

They asked Adobe to come up with a better Flash and they could not.

Research a little.

 

[stchman]

I have something called a brain.

Having a MBA does not make you smart.

Check your activity monitor when you are viewing flash videos.

Flash is well-known for being a resource hog and NOT being efficient.

Apple banned Flash not for being flash, but for being too much resource-hungry.

They asked Adobe to come up with a better Flash and they could not.

Research a little.

Let's examine each one of your points.

Having a MBA does not make you smart.

I never once claimed that owning a MBA made you smart. You asked me "what in the poop am I doing on a Macbook Air forum". This is a public forum and I wasn't under the impression that ONLY MBA owners are allowed to read this information, but I guess to validate myself, I can because I own a MBA.

Check your activity monitor when you are viewing flash videos.

All computer processes will consume computer resources, sorry to inform you of this.

Flash is well-known for being a resource hog and NOT being efficient.

I already know that Flash is kind of a pig, still not a good enough reason to NOT use it. Microsoft Office 2010/2011 takes up a lot of disk space and is also a resource hog, people still use it.

Apple banned Flash not for being flash, but for being too much resource-hungry.

I didn't know Apple knew what Flash was better than Adobe? Banned, it can still be used on OS X!!!

They asked Adobe to come up with a better Flash and they could not.

We'll assume that "they" = Apple. So only Apple is allowed to have a program take up a lot of resources on OS X?

Research a little.

Sounds like you took the "research zero" approach.

All in all, it still appears that you dislike Flash cause "Apple told me so.

 

[animatedude]

False! It's 79.3 times better!

i understand it's 79.3 times better but why the stupid majority still use flash?

 

[stchman]

i understand it's 79.3 times better but why the stupid majority still use flash?

To use on websites that are Flash only.

 

[GGJstudios]

i understand it's 79.3 times better but why the stupid majority still use flash?

Because the web is historically slow to adopt newer technology. It will take a while before the majority of sites move from Flash to HTML5. (probably about the time HTML5 gets replaced by something better!)

 

[JPamplin]

Um, thanks?

Thanks for the input guys. I didn't mean to start a heated discussion. Guess that's part of being here.

I do hope the rumors of 10.8.1 significantly improving battery life are true.

JP

 

[Barna Biro]

Why can't the video player the site you're visiting be faulty instead of Flash? I am watching quite a lot of videos and live streams ( especially TV ) using Flash Player and it's nowhere a "battery hog". Of course, nothing is perfect, nor is Flash... but saying that 1 hour of Flash video drains your battery by 60% in my opinion is just fairy tale ( or your are forgetting to mention that you're viewing 1080p video for an hour and who knows what else you have running in the background ).

Try watching videos on different websites and see if the same happens...

----------

i understand it's 79.3 times better but why the stupid majority still use flash?

So according to you everyone is stupid who doesn't use the same tool / software you do? Great for you... but Flash has quit many uses, it's not only about banners and bling-bling animations. Quite many banks / multinational corporations / public institutions / etc. use software that runs in Flash Player ( software developed specifically for their needs ).

Of course, you're too ignorant to care or to even look into the subject and put a minimum effort into trying to understand why Flash is so used ( still used and will continue to be used for quite a while... it won't just fall off the face of the Earth over night because HTML5 will eventually and officially enter the scene in 2-3 years or so - best case scenario ) and why are many businesses hesitant about using HTML5 anytime soon for Enterprise level applications ( or even "decently complex" ones ).

... you just find it simpler to call others stupid than first taking a good look in the mirror.
Try it out! I dare you! Just be careful because the moron you'll see in the mirror might actually scare you...
... we don't want you to get a heart attack now, do we? ...

 

[TheRealDamager]

Flash is a very well known resource (including battery) hog on Mac computers - there isn't much question about it.

 

[stchman]

Flash is a very well known resource (including battery) hog on Mac computers - there isn't much question about it.

So we should not use it to not offend Apple's and their disciples sensibilities?

What are we supposed to use for Flash only sites? Are we to just not to visit them because Apple said Flash is evil?

If an alternative exists, I will listen.

 

[Barna Biro]

If an alternative exists, I will listen.

Alternatives exist, just that these alternatives are many times not worth the time / money to develope. It's business, companies have to earn money, have to pay salaries and have to provide fast, reliable and decently priced solutions to clients.

A few years back, everyone was hyped up around Silverlight! "The Flash killed!" "All those C# and C++ professionals will wipe the floor with Flash!" "The huge developer community of Microsoft will kill Flash!" etc. etc.

... and where is Silverlight today? Exactly...

Competition is always welcome and I personally do hope that if not HTML5, then some other technologies will emerge and try to put some serious pressure on Flash. Doing so, Adobe might put more effort into smoothening out certain problems with the technology... "might". If they won't then hopefully the competitors will put the needed effort into their technologies.

HTML5 is in essente nothing more than HTML + Javascript ( yes, it has a few additional "special" components too ), but because browsers parse HTML differently, there will always be compatibility issues ( developers will have to spend N times more trying to fix browser specific problems than developing the actual solution... time which is translated into "wasted money" for the company or "higher prices for clients" ). Until HTML and especially browsers don't get their act together ( have a proper, accepted and consistent standard in place ), HTML will not be a viable solution for most companies that plan on developing complex / Enterprise level applications ( this is where "the real money" is at... not banners and bling-bling crap )...

Also more tools need to start appearing that support the HTML + Javascript development process in a "real" way ( there are a few now, but they are far from good or usable in large teams ) or at least some decent frameworks ( similar to GWT ) that can translate C/C++/Java/whatever and generate a proper HTML5 application.

... again, HTML5 still has a long road ahead.
Hopefully it will not end up as Silverlight did... only future will tell...

 

[TheRealDamager]

I'm not interested in a Flash debate - even Adobe is giving up on it.

 

[Barna Biro]

I'm not interested in a Flash debate - even Adobe is giving up on it.

Who told you that Adobe is giving up on it?
You have no idea what you're talking about and ignorance doesn't help you make a point.

 

[TheRealDamager]

Like I said - not interested. They dumped it for the most battery-sensitive platforms (mobile). That tells you something. Moving on...

 

[Barna Biro]

Like I said - not interested. They dumped it for the most battery-sensitive platforms (mobile). That tells you something. Moving on...

"not interested" and "not knowing what you are talking about" are 2 different things... you actually fall into both categories. They dumped Flash Player for Android not because of battery issues, but because they finally understood that 99.9% of the previously built and non-mobile-optimized Flash content WAS NOT USABLE on mobile devices ( Android and iOS didn't publish "UI / UIX best practices / guidelines" for nothing you know... unfortunately almost no one bothered updating Flash content created years before smartphones appeared either ). You could indeed play .swf files with Flash Player on Android, but that's where to road ended for the majority of the applications... tapping on minuscule buttons or areas was not possible in a "proper" manner, such and similar issues ( again "unoptimised content" ) altering almost every old Flash application unusable on Mobile devices.

Unoptimised Flash content was just causing a lot of frustration for users and it was eventually just hurting the already stained image of Flash even more. It made total business sense to stop supporting Flash Player officially on mobile devices... content was simply not optimised and no one would have bothered optimising it either... And that's why they are now investing a crap-load of money into the Air Player instead and they are putting effort into trying to give especially game developers more and more options ( addition of Stage3D was maybe the first biggest step toward supporting "more serious" game development... more improvements followed in newer updates ).

Please, stop talking trash without having a basic understanding about the business or the technology. You are just coming with false affirmations and assumptions. You don't like Flash and don't care? Great, don't use it... but at least stop pretending you have even an extremely basic understanding about what is going on and why certain decision were taken in the past by Adobe.

Flash is far from perfect, it can surely be improved, but Apple propaganda was many, many times far from accurate as well ( not to mention that they repeatedly refused working together with Adobe engineers to try to properly improve / optimise Flash Player on Mac OS X ).

 

[stchman]

I certainly am glad that Silverlight didn't kill Flash. Flash works very well on Ubuntu 64 bit. As of right now M$ has not released Silverlight for Linux and they probably never will.