01-30-2010, 06:54 PM
I have never been a big YouTube user, but my impression is that playback has gotten worse over the last year. I could be wrong about this - I really only watch YouTube infrequently, when someone sends me a link or I find one here, for example. But I remember being able to watch YouTube without a lot of fuss. Now, without the jumping through hoops, most YouTube videos are pretty much unwatchable on my TiBook.
However, we have three computers at home I use from time to time, and when you add three children with MacBooks I have watched videos on a lot of different machines. Since I have only really paid attention to how Flash video works in the last couple of days I can't say anything remotely definitive about YouTube playback changing.
No experience with Flash Lite. If there is a version of Flash which works decently then there is certainly less argument for Apple leaving it off of mobile devices. But I don't think Apple is just doing it to be peevish. (It could of course have a lot to do with Apple's relationship with AT&T, and the latter's wanting to limit bandwidth use.)
Installing ClickToFlash made me aware of how much Flash is used around the web. I am not a big web surfer, typically sticking to just a few sites. But I am amazed at how much happier I am using the web with ClickToFlash installed. As you point out, the problem may the implementation of Flash, rather than the underlying technology per se. But from a user's viewpoint it does not really matter. Adobe could have designed Flash so that it could only be implemented in ways that worked efficiently. I still blame Flash as a technology.
While I acknowledge your points about the many uses of Flash (games, etc.), my problems with it are poor video playback and how it slows web surfing. Lots of others complain that it also slows their computer generally when they have several web pages open. I haven't tried to test this specifically, but my ClickToFlash experience supports the idea.
- Winston
However, we have three computers at home I use from time to time, and when you add three children with MacBooks I have watched videos on a lot of different machines. Since I have only really paid attention to how Flash video works in the last couple of days I can't say anything remotely definitive about YouTube playback changing.
No experience with Flash Lite. If there is a version of Flash which works decently then there is certainly less argument for Apple leaving it off of mobile devices. But I don't think Apple is just doing it to be peevish. (It could of course have a lot to do with Apple's relationship with AT&T, and the latter's wanting to limit bandwidth use.)
Installing ClickToFlash made me aware of how much Flash is used around the web. I am not a big web surfer, typically sticking to just a few sites. But I am amazed at how much happier I am using the web with ClickToFlash installed. As you point out, the problem may the implementation of Flash, rather than the underlying technology per se. But from a user's viewpoint it does not really matter. Adobe could have designed Flash so that it could only be implemented in ways that worked efficiently. I still blame Flash as a technology.
While I acknowledge your points about the many uses of Flash (games, etc.), my problems with it are poor video playback and how it slows web surfing. Lots of others complain that it also slows their computer generally when they have several web pages open. I haven't tried to test this specifically, but my ClickToFlash experience supports the idea.
- Winston