It appears that the old Apple/Microsoft battle isn't a big deal anymore - - - but Steve Jobs seems to be heating up a new one with Adobe and Google, the main competitors in the push to implement flash structures that work with the new open structures of portable devices.
One of Steve Jobs recent quotes related to the release of the new IPad, that is sure to stoke up the heat was -
"No one will be using Flash, he says. The world is moving to HTML5."When just about everyone has or will soon have high speed internet connection (even more people in developing countries have it than in America it seems), faster computers, larger screens with higher resolutions, better graphics - couple that with and the Javascript/Ajax/Jason structures that are becoming so refined and able to reproduce just about everything flash can - - - it appears that it will only be time until a majority are convinced they don't need flash applications and the limitations that it has with it's fixed structure and virtual inability to be indexed by search engines, or bookmarked by viewers.
As a web coder and PHP web application developer for over 8 years, I personally have felt that flash was most effective in filling a void that was caused by the inabilities of the web delivery speeds, web browsers that could not smoothly handle the generation of animations client side and provided too many shortcomings and inconsistencies between browser types, as well as slower computers and graphics cards - - - it really was the only way to get good looking graphics and animations as well as an assortment of nice looking embedded fonts.
I have noticed that Apple is sure pushing to get rid of support for flash applications with their iTouch, IPhone, and new iPad. It was quite evident in the release video of the IPad. Steve Job's mention of the nice viewing of YouTube video including HD. That is because YouTube provides a player that works without flash, so that videos can be viewed on the new Apple products. I have also started using MP4 instead of flash video, by using the new web players available that support mp4 formatted video. As video players like this become more popular, there won't be the need for flash for video - and with such javascript structures as jQuery and Ajax - there won't be the same need for flash applications in the future from what I can see.
So it may be that Steve Jobs is right with his quote "No one will be using Flash, he says. The world is moving to HTML5." . From my perspective as a web coder and designer, I am hoping that is the case - - - although the reality is that Google and especially Adobe being the main software developer of flash generation software, are going to have their strong say in it's demise. Just some food for thought!
The reference to Job's claim about flash, is here:
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/01/googles-dont-be-evil-mantra-is-bullshit-adobe-is-lazy-apples-steve-jobs/-----
