[flexcoders] Re: Flex and AIR on Mobile Platforms

[Gary]

--- In flexcoders@yahoogroups.com, Guy Morton guy@... wrote:

 I think the only thing you should draw from this announcement is that Adobe 
 has given up on trying to support  flash as a browser plugin on mobile 
 devices. I think they have seen that a) performance is an issue they may 
 struggle to fix while maintaining compatibility and b) there is market 
 resistance to plugins on mobile platforms (see the Windows 8 Metro 
 plugin-less IE as the final domino to fall there).

While a) and b) make sense, they don't seem to realise/acknowledge that this 
really kills any new project targetting the Flash Player at all.

 
 Flash is now in decline as a plugin technology. It will continue for a good 
 few years yet, but it is trending downwards. Because its life as a plugin is 
 drawing to an end, Adobe is seeking to reshape Flash as an app-building tool. 
 This makes perfect sense, and if they do it well, they could manage to make 
 an army of Flash/flex developers into app developers, which is not all bad.

If this _really_ is the strategy, and I hope it is, then great - I've already 
started building a mobile Flash app. But with the terrible way they have 
handled this, and open sourcing Flex but not Flash, and all the layoffs and 
community outrage, I'm worried they may have killed the whole ecosystem - in 
perception if not reality (which will follow perception).

 Adobe has read the writing on the wall and is putting a lot of effort into 
 re-shaping themselves as the tool provider for HTML5. Certainly there is a 
 need for great tools in this area, so I hope they succeed in doing this.

AIR could be a much better and unique product (there is nothing better) for 
cross-platform mobile apps (a huge market) than PhoneGap/HTML5, if they take it 
seriously. But are they?

Also they may lose the HTML5 tools race, and many HTML developers I know don't 
even use many tools. Designers of course still need Ps,Ai etc. I can see Adobe 
losing their developer audience alltogether without some radically positive 
moves.

For career security I'm learning JS, but I hope to continue with building 
mobile AIR  apps with confidence.

Gary

[flexcoders] Re: Flex and AIR on Mobile Platforms

[DP]

The way I read the announcement is that they're pulling back from Flash for the 
web, not Flex or Air.  Flash for the web are flash apps built such that they 
can be included in a web page.  Even though Flex is essentially that, it is 
much different from Flash.  Considering AIR is actually a separate package as 
well, I'm guessing they're not going to pull back from either one of those.

Also, as I read it, AIR Mobile was something they were continuing with.  That 
makes sense to me as AIR is not embedded like Flash is - it's a full blown 
implementation.

--- In flexcoders@yahoogroups.com, e_val_soft dannyvenier@... wrote:

 I'd like to understand more about Adobe's latest annnouncement that they will 
 focus on HTML5 on mobile platforms(rather than Flash).
 
 Obviously a kick in the head for flex/air developers targetting applications 
 that need or want a mobile client because mobile platform manufacturers will 
 drop Flash (in a flash) from their product plans.
 
 I've seen some mixed messages - Adobe's version which is just a change in 
 focus while the industry reads it like a Flash obituary.  Here are two 
 bullets from Adobe's announcement:
 --from Adobe.com
 
 •Shifting resources to support even greater investment in HTML5, through 
 tools like Adobe® Dreamweaver,  Adobe Edge and PhoneGap, recently added 
 through the acquisition of  Nitobi
   
 •Focusing Flash resources on delivering the most advanced PC web experiences, 
 including gaming and premium video, as well as mobile apps
 --
 I can almost see them sitting around the board room table debating whether to 
 stick that , as well as mobile apps on the end of bullet 2 just to leave 
 people like us (Flex developers I mean) confused.  Pretend you're a Samsung 
 or Motorola executive planning the next release of your latest mobile device. 
  Do we spend $10 million and 40 developers integrating Flash?
 
 Since the vast majority of new, innovative applications involve incorporation 
 or embracing of mobile clients, Flash's ubiquity, which is/was its greatest 
 selling point, is gone.  I mean when Jobs took a stand to ban Flash from iOS 
 - that was a phaser blast to the holodeck, but this...this is a photon 
 torpedo to the bridge.
 
 Am I reading this wrong, or should I be starting my new HTML5 career now?  I 
 mean once flash is gone from mobile, it is gone as a general web application 
 framework so forget those desktop focused applications too, except some 
 specialized graphics oriented apps.
 
 I think of what I'm developing now on Flex and it would be years away from 
 possible with HTML5 but maybe I should be focusing on HTML5 plus one of the 
 better JavaScript frameworks?
 
 I'm really looking for some opinions here about what flex developers think of 
 the near term future based on this announcement.  It'd be great to hear some 
 Adobe employee perspectives (probably on gag order) but anyone with some 
 insight, please do tell.  I'd love to be told I'm exaggerating the 
 consequence of the announcement