I just read an article on Mashable about Motorola’s new Xoom tablet, apparently it is going to ship without Flash, Adobe’s web animation tool. This is a pretty major deal considering the flack that Apple got a few years ago when it decided not to include Flash on it’s mobile devices.
Android has used Flash as a selling point on it’s mobile devices but to not have it on the flagship tablet is just a little strange. Now Adobe and Android say that it will be updated later in 2011 with Flash but I think that may be a little late. What if people get used to the performance of the tablet without Flash? What if they decide that they don’t need it?
So, this got me thinking, I have had an iPhone since the first 3G model (iPhone 2) and I have updated through the 3Gs and now I am on the 4, I also have an iPad. I have to say that I don’t really miss Flash that much. Yes, it is true that there have been occasions were a page hasn’t loaded quite right or at all, but that is rare. If there is something that I really need to look at I’ll generally go to my laptop anyway. The iPad is my sit on the couch and surf, check mail or play a game machine. It is also my travelling notebook replacement, what the iPad isn’t is a laptop replacement and I don’t believe that it was ever meant to be.
So, as a device that meant to be light weight, fast and always on, do we really want Flash, a notoriously buggy and slow program, running on our tablets? I know I don’t but I would love to hear what you think. Do you miss Flash on your mobile devices or have you come to terms with it? Comment below.
3 comments
I have an iMac as well as an iPhone 3GS. As I don’t have a laptop or an iPad (I’m waiting for the second gen to come out) I use my phone as my mobile gamer, web browser or video player. Over the past few years, there have only been a handful of websites that I haven’t been able to access properly due to it containing flash. In more recent times most of those websites I was previously having issues with now have their own apps that give the same functionality as their site, eg Event Cinemas website. Any major websites that where the whole site is based on flash I’d prefer to view on my desktop computer on a full size screen rather than zooming in and out on my phone.
I don’t think Flash is a necessity on mobile devices. Even though some people don’t seem to be able to live without it, I won’t be basing any of my future purchases on whether it has Flash capabilities or not.
Pretty much agree with everything you said. I guess the big question is, with HTML5 fast becoming a standard, will there be a future for Flash on the web?
i agree that with html 5 flash my not be needed but i would like to point out that most people who say they dont need flash have an apple product. the same people who needlessly buy a product whos specs are always a year behind every time a “new” one comes out.