Here is a very interesting article from Vision Mobile that will steer some discussion on current Adobe mobile strategy.
“Adobe’s unified Flash Platform strategy is built on the premise that designers and developers (i.e. Adobe’s key customers) can create content that spans all terminals, form-factors and interaction experiences – thanks to a ubiquitous consistent runtime.
Yet, the freedoms enjoyed by Flash developers in the context of windowed desktop user interfaces and multi-tabbed browsers simply cannot apply in mobile phones environments.
There are driving forces in the mobile space beyond the developer or designer’s control that constrain what is displayed “on the glass”.”
I can only add one thing. Flash Lite is installed on 1.2billions mobile devices, but when is last time Adobe has promoted this to developers as a valuable business investment? What ever you may think, this number it’s a valuable business for developers, but seem to be completely ignored!!!
I you think about it, this is the same issue that will face Air Mobile and Flash 10.1, a decent install base to justify a business investment.
Alessandro
I read it, and will pass it along, but there’s a lot of it.
In the part you highlighted, yes, device types offer different user affordances, and hence interface conventions.
Player 10.1 and mobile AIR give us publishing capability, but we still have to learn how to take best advantage of it, agreed….
jd/adobe
The true value of the new Flash Platform is portability. Flash Lite was not picked up despite it’s huge install base because it needed additional investment from developers – the content had to be prepared specifically for Flash Lite (different player, different API’s, different capabilities).
With Flash Player 10.1 and Adobe Air for Mobile you can literally take your existing code, and run it on desktop and web without no or with minimal adjustments (mostly related to screen size).
See our game, Alchemist. We released it on iPhone using Adobe Packager for iPhone, as AIR application on Android and as free game on Kongregate – it runs identical code and we were able to port to each platform in matter of minutes.
Ciao Paulius,
nice to meet you!
Not sure how much experience you have on Flash Lite, but I have created Flash Lite applications that ran on 4 or 5 different platforms with no code change, no recompiling, just different packaging and been able potentially to address an install base of hundreds of millions of phones.
So still puzzling the fact that there are so few companies investing on Flash Lite.
Alessandro
Hey Alessandro,
I have done limited work with Flash Lite, but I have to admit it does provide a wide array of choices in mobile market.
However, with the new Flash Player 10.1 or AIR for mobile you can use the same codebase and APIs for mobile devices and desktop computers whereas Flash Lite can only be run on mobiles. I think this is a huge improvement over Flash Lite and one that will greatly impact the mobile market.
Cheers
Ciao Paulius,
“… Flash Lite can only be run on mobiles..”, I just do mobile!
Alessandro
Hi Mr. biskero
I just came across this today !
http://digitalmedia.strategyeye.com/article/c76a1ec23d/2010/03/26/Adobe_Flash_is_obsolete_for_mobiles_claims_Accel/
what do you say to it ?
Ciao,
by the way, I am Alessandro!
It’s strange to see such comments from that VC, since they invested in AdMob and GetJar, both invested in Flash Lite technology.
The simple fact that in Japan, Flash content is the de facto standard and it’s making a lot of money, suggests that these people should do their homework first.
Also US ventures, see only US land, they have no idea that there are other countries where the i-whatever it’s the minority of minority of mobile ecosystem.
Alessandro
Sorry Alessandro!
I think you are very correct. some how all these discussions and news over the internet stays centric to us only. In fact even in India every 4/8 phones is flash lite enabled whereas 1/100 phones is i-whatever