Why Flash Apps Should Not Be On The App Store

Have you noticed that in the Apple Store, there is not a bargain bin of unwanted software?

Of course not! Apple is promoting it's identity as a high quality boutique. The danger of allowing Flash developers to literally explode the App Store and flood it with bad apps was very real. It's hard enough today to read 3 or 4 different apps and the reviews, and make a purchase. If overnight, there were an additional dozen or so bad apps, for the same thing, the frustration level would also explode.

If customer choice means tons of bad choices....no thanks, I'll pass.

This notion that freedom and choice are at stake is completely ludicrous. Imagine a Presidential debate where all the candidates from every fringe party got equal time. It would be a complete waste, because you'd only be listening to a very small fraction of the debate.

The App Store would suffer a "Flash Tax"...and die

People would soon tire of spending $5-$10 weeding through bad apps just to find a good one. Flash developers, oblivious to what is happening, would see sales and produce vastly more junk. The user would blame Apple. The quality of the App Store would plummet very quickly. The iPhone/App Store ecosystem would slowly collapse. Journalists would write post-mortems about how Flash killed the App Store. If you think things are bad now between Adobe and Apple, just image the aftermath of that.

Conclusion: Apple did the right thing.

Rude Awakening: How Flash Has Exposed The New Development Paradigm

Adobe's Big Blunder

That fact that Flash CS5 released the iPhone exporter, and forced Apple's hand, shows that the execs at Adobe are not listening. It was no secret that Apple was going to change the rules when faced with a potential tsunami of bad Flash-generated apps. In spite of Adobe's insistence that they perform well on devices, any critical glance reveals it's simply not true. Self-delusion is not pretty or helpful. This is like Microsoft saying there's nothing wrong with Vista. This is hubris, plain and simple.

It's time for the Adobe investors to clean house in the tower. I'd love to see Ben Forta run Adobe. He has had the intelligence to stay out of the Apple-bashing, and obviously had a hand in the 64-bit Cocoa moves that have been a huge success on CS5 tools like Photoshop and Premiere Pro. In contrast, the Flash group has failed horribly, both technically, and politically. It's been a public, embarrassing disaster.

Flash Developers Screaming Inside A Burning Building

Flash everywhere is not a right. iPhone is not a monopoly. Simply go over to Android and fail on that platform instead. All the crying about being open is a waste of time. If half the energy behind flaming Apple was used towards learning Objective-C, they'd be doing apps on iPhone and iPad right now. They'd also have to admit that they are making far better quality apps without Flash. I have no sympathy or respect for developers who are screaming in the burning building. Have enough sense to walk out the front door. Being stupid and lazy is no way to further your career.

Device/Mobile Development != Desktop Development != Web Development

Ubiquity is not going to reach the mobile world via Flash. It's not even happening across Android phones. As new devices keep coming, they keep getting better. Adobe cannot keep up with this pace with Flash. They can't even get off 32-bit. Creating subsets of support by which we funnel our development is an impediment to innovation. Flash is a Swiss Army knife. It is not a scalpel. I cannot defend mediocrity.

Nothing is more mediocre, slow, and uncool that a web app. Blackberry is a waste of time. Users do not want an experience that is LESS than the web page. They hate web apps and web-dependant views with a passion.

Native and HTML 5: The New Paradigm

Object-oriented programming, web programming....device programming. This is a new age of development, and it's on afterburner. Unfortunately, many of my colleagues will not understand it, and will fall further and further behind. Young developers are energized. The older developers, happy with what they already know, are completely unprepared and and not motivated to produce excellence on new platforms. That's a mistake.

They have no clue the goodness that's only available by going native. The users are showing off their devices for what they CAN do. Cross-platform apps create nothing but yawns. Then they get deleted. Just getting on the iPhone does not equal success.

Every day, the call for HTML 5 and iPad-compatible web experiences hits home. Example 1. Example 2. Example 3. Clearly, developers are not in control. The users are. This is the transition from web to device. Flash is not going to be the singular technology for both. It's not even going to hold onto web forever. We develop forward, or we develop backward. Apple has decided that on their devices, you CAN'T develop backward. I'm quite sure they will be rewarded by the public. The users don't care if developer's are afraid for their livelihoods. They want to be wooed and wow'd. It's adapt or die. Is someone at Adobe getting this? HTML 5 tools are where the money is. It's not Flash.

Moving Forward Is Inevitable

Every major step forward was done with great resistance and great reward. Here we are. This is it. If you are afraid or angry, you need to wake up, and get to work. Young developers do not have your baggage, and they will smoke you. Personally, I'm incredibly fortunate to have made the choice to move on. I'm riding the wave, and it's a lot of work. But as far as my career, opportunity and the rewards, I'm in the right place. I'm happy. You can ride the wave or get crushed. So start swimming!