Originally Posted by gerbick

What will replace it?

Originally Posted by Rebski

A case in point here is the Disney.go.com page. On my iPhone it looks fine and perfectly acceptable for what I might want to do. On my Windows 7 laptop and Firefox 3.6 it tells me that I need the latest version of Flash. So now I have to jump through hoops to access the page.

Originally Posted by Forphucsake

The ipad has made me realise that I could probably use a tablet at times, (laying in bed, too lazy to sit at the computer while the wife is watching tv etc) but not this one. If it hadn't of been released I would probably still be content with my N900 and laptop. Maybe competitors should thank apple for that as I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Originally Posted by zwer

Haven't you heard of the new magic word HTML5? Yeah, whenever you say that Flash have no real replacement people will shout at you - HTML5! Of course, if those people actually bothered to read what HTML5 is, and if they would only know what Flash is, they'd keep their mouth shut. But, since the internet is populated by parrots, HTML5 is the word we'll hear in much greater occurrence in the future. Ignorance, truly is bliss!

Of course, the mere facts that HTML5 won't be fully implemented for years to come, that JavaScript is stuck with ECMAScript consortium not being able to make a decision for years and thus making it still a prototype based language with useless JIT execution, that every browser differently implements DOM and CSS, that there is no strict markup (XHTML tried that, and failed), that even the fastest JSVMs cannot beat, or in some cases come even close to AVM2 in almost all programming tasks, that no self-respecting developer will develop complex things in a non-strict typed language with no decent debugger and profiler, that there is no solution for vector-based animation, that HTML/JS is a decade behind Flash when it comes to connectivity, that... all those facts shouldn't stop people praising HTML5 as the next Messiah that will never come.

So, you have a problem with developers, not the technology. The list of badly developed HTML pages is at least ten times longer than of those created in, or utilizing Flash. Does that mean that HTML sucks (well, it does, but that's a whole other subject)? The list of badly developed C++ applications is even more staggering, does that mean that C++ sucks and that it needs to die?

Flash is a technology like any other - how people will choose to implement it is their problem. Bad developers develop bad things, no matter of the technology. Blame the developers!

Originally Posted by gerbick

But to rant, rave about killing Flash - there's been so many Flash killers to date that I've officially given up counting (JavaFX, Silverlight 1, 2 and 3... SVG, that Japanese vector animation program stuff (lord I forgot the name) among others...) and I'm just getting started.

HTML5 isn't gonna save jackcrap. Not in the next few months, perhaps in the next few years it'll be where it needs to be in regards to UX/UI and video. Heck, they can't even get CSS3 finalized. Nor XML 1.1.

Oh well... H.264 drops the $5 million per year license, it'll get adopted by Mozilla.

Originally Posted by zwer

Ugh, I thought it was clear from my post that I was being sarcastic

Originally Posted by Thesandlord

...Flash is so easy to use as a developer.

Originally Posted by pel

I read somewhere that Apple is trying to get the networks to drop their TV episode prices. There is even talk of a cable-like monthly subscription price where a bundle of shows/channels can be had for a single monthly uplift.



I never bought an iPod, although we did recently for our kids. In fact, aside from that, I don't think I've ever purchased original anything from Apple, although I've owned a number of second-hand macs over the years.

But I may break that taboo with this device. I've been a closet Apple fan and have used Macs off and on since mid 80's.

I want to casually read websites, books, newspapers, maybe flip through pics, watch some vids, from my couch, bed, or on my lap on the train/bus ride in to work. I want a handwriting note-taker. And, I want it to "just work" well, smoothly, and then have access to bunch of other attendant apps.

I'm a big keyboard guy (unix admin), but you really have to be committed to a certain frame of mind when you go to the keyboard.

There is another frame of mind, however, when you're simply reading, writing, and "exploring". It's one of deep introspection. This is the device for that. Any device that centers around a computer and keyboard does not take that other frame of mind into consideration, and that's why this device is appealing.

I think technologists are offended by this device, because it's not really for them. I mean, they can use it and enjoy it, but it's not a technologist's tinkerer hobby device, and that's why they don't like it.

iPods and iPhones were small enough to be relegated to an also-ran device. This is probably the first device that threatens the technologist's hold on computing devices, because people who just want to use computers as a means to an end can actually use this thing for most of their screen-time now (TV viewing and gaming aside, at least at first).

It's actually quite healthy for well-formed individuals, now that I think about it. It will probably encourage more book-reading and handwriting.