The iPod, iPhone and the new iPad all have the Safari browser installed. The Safari browser on these mobile devices do not support Flash. Apple will likely be investigated under U.S. Anti-Trust laws. Their policy to not allow Flash is backwards and contradicts what the users of their devices want. Well, that is what I used to think, before reading Apples letter on their website that has put this into a different light.

The founders of Adobe recently posted a letter, and stated that Apples approach in this case is opposite their own approach to openness.

“We believe that Apple, by taking the opposite approach, has taken a step that could undermine this next chapter of the web — the chapter in which mobile devices outnumber computers, any individual can be a publisher, and content is accessed anywhere and at any time.” http://www.adobe.com/choice/openmarkets.html

In Apples response to Adobe, they write a compelling argument as to why flash has not been adopted on mobile devices. They go on and state that;

“Even if iPhones, iPods and iPads ran Flash, it would not solve the problem that most Flash websites need to be rewritten to support touch-based devices.” http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughts-on-flash/

That statement alone supports my long time argument that websites developed in Flash have a higher cost of ownership to the website owner.

I really did think that Apple was simply stonewalling… putting off the ‘inevitable’ inclusion of flash on mobile devices. I did believe that they are simply protecting the iStore by not allowing flash devlopers to create web-apps for the mobile devices. After reading Apples letter regarding flash, I have changed my mind.

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