01-30-2010, 06:09 PM
If users could watch free TV shows on Hulu, they wouldn’t buy them through iTunes.
Revenue stream protection or not, Apple controls all aspects of their mobile devices pretty tightly. And with their popularity they have leverage to force people to ask the question of what's wrong, why isn't there Flash? In contrast, the Mac is a traditional computer and must make do with old design choices and expectations.
It causes discussions like the ones we've had here lately, and makes people aware that there are other, and yes I would agree better, ways of streaming video. The non-video Flash items on a web page are sacrificed for the greater cause of promoting things that don't rely on one 3rd-party to make video work.
Video isn't the only thing Flash is used for by any means, but Flash is certainly the de facto app used for online video playback. And I think everyone would agree video is a huge deal.
Abobe, with Flash video, represents the sole proprietary aspect of the online experience. It's currently ubiquitous but that's far from meaning it should be retained or defended. Thanks to Apple, more people will come to see this as a positive, and not simply, "hey, what's with the blank box?"
Meantime, there's a bit of pain involved for viewers. We can lament being used somewhat as pawns in this game, or we can work towards promoting a better long-term solution. Personally, I get tired of gnashing my teeth about these issues.
At the moment I'm fine with the trade-off of no Flash on the mobiles, and selectively using it on my Mac. I think this attitude is best for the long-term health of the Web.
Revenue stream protection or not, Apple controls all aspects of their mobile devices pretty tightly. And with their popularity they have leverage to force people to ask the question of what's wrong, why isn't there Flash? In contrast, the Mac is a traditional computer and must make do with old design choices and expectations.
It causes discussions like the ones we've had here lately, and makes people aware that there are other, and yes I would agree better, ways of streaming video. The non-video Flash items on a web page are sacrificed for the greater cause of promoting things that don't rely on one 3rd-party to make video work.
Video isn't the only thing Flash is used for by any means, but Flash is certainly the de facto app used for online video playback. And I think everyone would agree video is a huge deal.
Abobe, with Flash video, represents the sole proprietary aspect of the online experience. It's currently ubiquitous but that's far from meaning it should be retained or defended. Thanks to Apple, more people will come to see this as a positive, and not simply, "hey, what's with the blank box?"
Meantime, there's a bit of pain involved for viewers. We can lament being used somewhat as pawns in this game, or we can work towards promoting a better long-term solution. Personally, I get tired of gnashing my teeth about these issues.
At the moment I'm fine with the trade-off of no Flash on the mobiles, and selectively using it on my Mac. I think this attitude is best for the long-term health of the Web.