Today I stubled across the following article from Chris Hill at übergeek.tv. The reason that it was more interesting than the majority of iPhone posts was the depth and context; something unfamiliar with Flash+iPhone articles!
Let’s dissect it:
“While this is a great idea, I definitely would agree with Steve that it won’t run very well on the ARM processor.”
Markd: Flash runs extremely well on an ARM based processor, to be clear though ARM don’t build processors. Flash Lite has shipped on 800million devices, the majority of which have ARM based OMAP processors. Performance is typically dependant on the host Operating System, memory, bus speed and screen size.
“Compared to writing Flash for a PC, Adobe only needs to concern themselves with one system. This means they can perform optimizations that would probably cause them compatibility issues otherwise”
Markd: If it were as easy as “1 phone” then we’d be laughing. Flash and Flash Lite is delivered to OEMs in the form of source-code reference implementations, Linux, S60, BREW, Windows Mobile and Win32. Building any code base for 1 device would be a worthless endeavor for a portable code base like Flash.
“When Macromedia/Adobe chose On2’s video tech, one of their considerations was portability.This means that we can assume quality video playback support, which should give most people warm fuzzies.”
Markd: Indeed it does and you can check that out across Nokia’s S60 and Maemo platforms, Archos 5-7, the Wii and lots more in the future.
“Looking at the specs of the iphone shows that its no slowpoke. Let’s assume 400mhz. What can we do with 400Mhz on a very specific platform? A lot! “
Markd: Again 400mhz only forms part of a device picture, you also have to consider the host OS, memory, bus speed and screen size. I’m sure however that with less CPU power you can still do alot. Why not check out your own device specs and consider all the parts that are running in there.
“But daintily sipping CPUs is not what the Flash Player is known for. In fact it can easily bring a computer to its knees if used wrongly. What are the major hurdles to overcome? “
Markd: Glad you pointed out that “if used wrongly”, to provide unlimited bounds for creative people sometimes you have to accept that some will get it wrong.
“With flash, there are limitless possibilities, but these also need to be displayed 30 times a second.”
Markd: Flash based ads running at 30fps+ are stunning examples of what not to do. You should always set the frame rate for your content to a rate that fits the content and hardware profile.
“If there is one place that Adobe developers will lose sleep and hair, it will be attempting to get Flash to work with practically no RAM.”
Markd: Agreed, this is always a problem but Flash itself doesn’t need much RAM to run. I think the point is “attempting to get Flash content to run with practically no RAM”. It’s a real issue, it may never be 100%, but we’ll chase it and developers need to do their part too.
“So which version?”
Markd: Adobe created the Open Screen Project with all the relevant partners in the mobile and devices space. Each of the partners has a role to play in solving the goal which is to deliver a consistent platform across screens. A single version and a single platform will happen, but you will not be Bitmap caching on a phone anytime soon.
“And Flash Lite hasn’t really taken off as it should. Flash Lite is also specific to mobile, with the expectation that mobile would be ‘its own thing’. But what’s happened is that the ‘normal’ web is being put on phones, and so Flash Lite isn’t an ideal candidate.”
Markd: Flash Lite has “taken off” on 800m devices including set-top boxes, games consoles, TVs and mobile phones. It was created because desktop Flash wasn’t portable enough (code size, performance) to deliver on low power devices.
The latest version Flash Lite 3.1 is capable of playing back Flash 9 content using Actionscript 2.0, that’s about 85% of the top 500 sites right now. So if you have a phone that has enough RAM and network performance to keep going then Flash Lite will keep up.
“normal web being put on phones”
The iPhone and Facebook is a perfect example of an Internet application taking advantage of the iPhones mobility. The ‘normal’ web isn’t a great experience on 99% devices, Facebook realised that and have a different experience for iPhone or mobile users.
People only want the ‘normal’ web on their phones as a last resort, why should they have to Pan and Zoom around just because its a small screen? The Apple Appstore proves that they want/need applications for their key tasks whilst mobile, or sitting in front of the TV.
It all depends on context:
“What application, when in front of my computer, do I pick up my phone to do simply because it’s a better experience?”
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