Flash dev explains why the iPhone (/Touch/Pad) doesn't have flash. - Hardware & Software

[quote="Neowin.net"] The feud between Apple and Adobe regarding Flash support for Apple's touchscreen mobile devices is long and ongoing, with the rivalry found all the way at the top, with the CEO of the Cupertino-based company, Steve Jobs, being no big fan of Adobe's software. A lot of people complain that Apple should support the technology, though during the weekend, an engineer who is currently working on Flash has explained the technical issues that are stopping it from becoming a reality. Morgan Adams, the aforementioned engineer, [url="http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=107221"]explained on the AppleInsider forums[/url] the blatantly obvious that many have seemed to miss: Flash is heavily reliant on the cursor. Be it mouse-overs, or just simple interactivity, Flash needs a mouse to function correctly a vast majority of the time. [url="http://gizmodo.com/5476641/adobe-flash-developer-says-ipads-flash-allergy-due-to-hovering-clicking-cursors"]Gizmodo added to this[/url], explaining that, sure, Apple could implement Flash support, and some portions of it would work. Video players that simply require activating any play or pause buttons available should work as intended (for the most part), but everything else would simply fail. They continue to argue that users would be even more frustrated seeing content they couldn't interact with, rather than simply having nothing there at all. Adams believes that the only viable solution is to have all Flash content rewritten to support touch screen devices, which would take a lot of work on the part of multiple parties, so currently it isn't really an option. "So it's not just that Apple has refused to support Flash. It cannot, logically, be done. A finger is not a mouse, and Flash sites are designed to require a mouse pointer (and keyboard) in fundamental ways. Someday that may change, and every Flash site could be redesigned with touch-friendly Flash. But that doesn't make Flash sites work now," Adams stated, and correctly so. Either way you look at it, the possibility of an acceptable port of Flash on touchscreen devices seems less and less likely every day. [/quote] ------------------------- Source: [url="http://www.neowin.net/news/flash-developer-explains-ipad-amp-iphone-issues"]Neowin[/url] Backing Source: [url="http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=107221"]Apple Insider[/url] Adding Source: [url="http://gizmodo.com/5476641/adobe-flash-developer-says-ipads-flash-allergy-due-to-hovering-clicking-cursors"]Gizmodo[/url]

I'm trying to look at this from a logical standpoint here. Why can't it just emulate a standard mouse pointer to get around such an obstacle?

[QUOTE=JIAC;20397560]I'm trying to look at this from a logical standpoint here. Why can't it just emulate a standard mouse pointer to get around such an obstacle?[/QUOTE] Because that would be un-apple.

I thought everyone realised this anyway?

I don't see why this is a big obstacle. Just make it like a laptop trackpad- touch to click, double tap and then drag for any dragging motions, ect. The only thing that would have to be rewritten is the Flash player code to support it.

Still seems like sort of a BS reason though. A mouse could be implemented in a variety of ways. Many phone companies have Flash on their touchscreen phones. Keyboard functionality could be tough though, but that's a physical problem though. I can play Flash based mouse games on my Nokia. So that's one advantage over iPhones, no matter how ridiculously pointless it is. But I don't have a touchscreen, so I guess not. Well, I can at least play 3D Missile Game. lol. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_whjhKJXaM[/media] Point being, they could implement it in a similiar way. Flash content is ignored by the mouse until you click on it where the mouse will be locked in the Flash application on my phone. For an iDevice, you could use scrolling like normal, then tap the Flash application, the screen would zoom to fit the screen, and a virtual cursor would appear. You finger could drag it around or point and the cursor would snap to that spot. Doesn't solve the keyboard problem, but without a physical keyboard, there is no way to fix it anyway.

What was the reason given before? That it's inferior technology?

[QUOTE=Shugo589;20406850]What was the reason given before? That it's inferior technology?[/QUOTE] Anywhere ranging from Flash is "outdated" to it will kill your battery.

The only problem is that apple is to proud to go from mouseless to virtual mouse just so that people can actually use internet.

Saying the internet is pointless without Flash is a bit much.

The primary problem is Apple refusing to have it, if Apple allowed Flash on their devices I'm sure Adobe would find a way to make it work.

[QUOTE=AMD 32;20415386]The primary problem is Apple refusing to have it, if Apple allowed Flash on their devices I'm sure Adobe would find a way to make it work.[/QUOTE] If Apple would do what I said, it would work grand, but the developers are a bit too full of themselves to try something like that. but yes, most likely even if they didn't do my method, Adobe could easily make a workaround of some sort.

They could emulate a mouse like the N900 does

[QUOTE=wewt!;20429831]They could emulate a mouse like the N900 does[/QUOTE] Exactly. Many companies incorporate virtual mice. This is just a lame excuse for them not making a iPhone OS version of Flash.

Some is better than none, right?

[QUOTE=InternetExplore;20445146]Some is better than none, right?[/QUOTE] People who don't know shit about computers would complain about how restricted it would be.

[QUOTE=Demache;20444738]Exactly. Many companies incorporate virtual mice. This is just a lame excuse for them not making a iPhone OS version of Flash.[/QUOTE] It's really not. One of the most amazing things about iPhone OS when it came out was that it wasn't a desktop OS shoehorned onto a phone ala Win CE/Mobile. Putting a virtual mouse in it would completely undo all the work they've done and ruin the UI experience.

I guess no luck if you get to a site that is fully flash or has flash menus(I have been to quite a lot)

I don't really care because who the fuck uses their iPhone to browse the web anyway? Sure one might look something up or go watch some porn but it's not like anyone uses it as their main computer. Just save the links for later and view them on a computer like they're meant to be.

[QUOTE=Dr Egg;20449189]It's really not. One of the most amazing things about iPhone OS when it came out was that it wasn't a desktop OS shoehorned onto a phone ala Win CE/Mobile. Putting a virtual mouse in it would completely undo all the work they've done and ruin the UI experience.[/QUOTE] I meant for interacting with Flash only, not permanently.

[QUOTE=JIAC;20397560]I'm trying to look at this from a logical standpoint here. Why can't it just emulate a standard mouse pointer to get around such an obstacle?[/QUOTE] You know those half-decent arcarde shoot-the-cardboard-baddies games on the app store? Most of those are just flash ports, the crosshair for your gun stays in place when you don't touch the screen, and touching anywhere on the screen moves it. It should work like that.

If I have to use flash for something, $10 i'm at my house and I can just RDP onto my computer or you know just go onto my computer

How about the mouse pointer only shows up in flash things? Maybe, if possible and mentioned before, like a laptop or something, soft touch moves the cursor, hard touch clicks.

[QUOTE=BrQ;20461044]How about the mouse pointer only shows up in flash things? Maybe, if possible and mentioned before, like a laptop or something, soft touch moves the cursor, hard touch clicks.[/QUOTE] Because the is an incredibly hard concept to grasp and implement. *not **Well, maybe implementing it might be hard, but that's a programmer's job is to figure out stuff no matter how ridiculous it is.

[QUOTE=Demache;20455360]I meant for interacting with Flash only, not permanently.[/QUOTE] I got that.

[IMG]http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/56/flashnx.png[/IMG] That isn't stopping Flash from coming to Palm's Webos, it seems.

[QUOTE=Dr Egg;20462943]I got that.[/QUOTE] Just making sure. My posts can come out sounding like :derp:

[QUOTE=GhostSonic;20469651][IMG]http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/56/flashnx.png[/IMG] That isn't stopping Flash from coming to Palm's Webos, it seems.[/QUOTE] Reason in point for yet another BS explanation.

Adobe is stupid and ugly. Adobe should :suicide:

[QUOTE=PvtCupcakes;20500029] Adobe should :suicide:[/QUOTE] After Effects, Lightroom and Photoshop are pretty good tbh though