Is Flash dead? The future of Adobe’s plug-in http://bit.ly/aitoRs Flash v the “open web” – from Tech Radar.
For many reasons, Flash IS on the decline: from about 3 million Apple devices a month that don’t support it; fewer microsites being built for economic reasons and the rise of open standards.
On each side, people bitterly oppose the ‘rival’ technology. Standards proponents claim Flash is resource-hungry, proprietary and buggy, and say standards should rule. Flash proponents argue Adobe’s plug-in remains the only delivery option that offers cross platform consistency and that it provides scope for projects you can’t create with open standards.
There are some things that Flash is still the right solution for – but for standard video players and basic interaction, open standards should prevail. Over time, there will be less, and less need for Flash. Adobe itself shows that it can build tools for the iPad (Magazine readers) that don’t rely on Flash or AIR (a related technology).