Apple Inc. escalates its battle against Adobe Inc.


Apple Inc. escalated its fight with Adobe Systems Inc. over the software known as Flash.

Adobe and software developers critcized Apple Inc. because of Apple's decision to ban Flash from iPhones, and iPads.

As a result Mr. Steve Jobs, the Chief Executive of Apple criticized Adobe's software as a flawed throwback to a time before smartphones. Mr. Jobs stated, "Flash was created for PCs and mice". He went on to say "the mobile era is about low power devices, touch interfaces, and open web standards - all areas where Flash falls short".

Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen disputed Mr. Jobs assertions. Mr. Narayen thinks Apple's plan is to keep its own lock over software development for its mobile devices.

Apple whose PC influence waned, has won popularity in the mobile world because of the iPhone and the App Store created to supply software for it.

Media companies and advertisers have expressed concern about Apple's stance toward Flash, because their on-line videos and other web content incorporates Flash. Consequently, Adobe will try to work with Google Inc. to popularize Flash on phones using Google's Android system.

Currently, Flash is the most popular video format on the Web. Flash is also used for animation and advertising. It has been slow to establish a foothold in cell phones.

Apple is supporting Web-sites that use an emerging standard called HTML 5 instead of Flash.

Another point of contention is a new version of Adobe's Creative Suite software, which includes tools for using Flash to build iPhone apps. Just before Adobe formally introduced the software, Apple changed the terms of use for its store to forbid apps written with the new Adobe software.

And the Battle rages on.

Frederick Bryant
August 10, 2010
e-mail: fbryant@nigerpublishing.com

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