Apr 8, 2010

Apple Adobe CS5 and the iPhone

Well I'm disappointed in Apple again.  First no Flash on the iPhone now the Actionscript -> Objective C cross compiler as part of CS5 is banned.

As a Flex developer this is really disappointing and although we actually have a almost complete working version of our app in Objective C we are already working on a full Flex /AIR Client and we interested in the Actionscript -> Objective C cross compilation.

I guess we will have to see what Adobe come up with to work around this. 

But really Apple why all the Abobe hate?

Posted by Paul Kukiel at 10:07 PM
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14 comments:

  1. Totally agree. I was really looking forward to being able to leverage Flex and start making apps for the iPhone OS - without the overhead of having to learn Objective C. If this does get banned then I don't think I'll even bother with any apps for the iPhone.
    It seems like Apple is being a jealous sulky child about all this, not to mention greedy. It's disappointing that I am constantly being disappointed by Apple.
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  2. It is disappointing that Apple have done this... I wonder if they gave Adobe any notice of this new change? I'm sure the Adobe lawyers are going over it and working a way around it. Though if they don't it isn't the end of the Flash CS5. I somewhat doubt this will be the end of Adobe's efforts to get applications built in Flash on the iPhone OS either. Or other platforms effort.

    Though I think the sad part is that there are existing companies which produced products that use a similar process of application generation as the Flash CS5 process. I think it is pretty clear Apple key goal with this move it to get more Objective C programmers. Though the platforms the iPhone OS is on is very limited... I can't see it getting wide adoption until this changes.

    I do feel sorry for developers/designers who knew Flash CS5 was going to have this feature. I know some were waiting to get there hands on it to build apps for the iPhone. Now they just spent the last 6 or so months wasted when they could have been learning Objective C. Apple is not doing any favours with this move an I know many Flash developers will be disappointed.
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  3. Application development is about the users, not you. Flash can not and will not leverage what makes the iPhone a great platform, and it's the users that lose out.

    On the iPhone I have a great native Pandora app. On the mac, I'm stuck eith an ugly, poorly integrated Air-based hackjob.

    Why is that? Because on the desktop, pandora was able to prioritize developer comfort over user experience.

    Adobe is trying (and failing) to make platform's like Apple's irrelevant by hiding them underneath a compatibility layer, and in the process removing everything that makes the underlying platform unique and great.

    Why would I want Adobe to control the platform instead of Apple? Apple sure doss a better job of it *for the users*, and that's what matters.
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  4. Adobe is trying (and failing) to make platform's like Apple's irrelevant by hiding them underneath a compatibility layer, and in the process removing everything that makes the underlying platform unique and great.It seems like Apple is being a jealous sulky child about all this, not to mention greedy. It's disappointing that I am constantly being disappointed by Apple.
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  5. I would be curious to see what would happen if Adobe decided to stop supporting Mac for all their applications.
    No more Acrobat, CS5, Photoshop, Flash Player, Premiere for Mac. Who would loose more money ? Apple or Adobe ?
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  6. This is ridicolous. Apple is really loosing it. Where I could understand from a business model point of view that Apple is protective about Flash Player on iPhone/Pad, because it would loose control over applications (and income) but they would increase their sales through apps made by Adobe products greatly. But it is still a "all or nothing" issue for apple. I think they are still hurt that Flash became so popular (also because of web video) which Quicktime tried but failed before. Now they are hitting back - with arrogance, and I only hope it will be a boomerang for them.
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  7. John Gruber summed it up best in his blog yesterday.

    http://daringfireball.net/2010/04/why_apple_changed_section_331

    Basically, he says Apple wants to maintain control of development. Lets say Adobe's Flash Builder becomes the preferred choice of development for the iPhone. That hurts Apple. They release new features for the iPhone but if Adobe is slow to adopt them, then the features don't show up in the apps.

    Quite simple, I love Python. But I accept the fact that I can't write Python apps for the iPhone. I adapt. Either write my apps in Objective-C or write HTML5/CSS3/Javascript. How come Flash developers feel its their right to write Flash apps for the iPhone?
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  8. Anonymous,

    "Basically, he says Apple wants to maintain control of development. Lets say Adobe's Flash Builder becomes the preferred choice of development for the iPhone. That hurts Apple. They release new features for the iPhone but if Adobe is slow to adopt them, then the features don't show up in the apps."

    That's called competition, and it's healthy. You don't hear Microsoft bitching about how there's 3 or 4 alternative developer tools for .net, or Adobe bitching about Swish. No, they just get on and accept the competition.

    Apple could have badly misjudged this decision. The iPhone is, in the grand scheme of things, tiny. There are far more c# and Flash developers out there. Apple had the opportunity to give those guys a less difficult route into iPhone development. Rather than having to completely retool, they could give it a go using their current skills.

    Instead, they've blocked that. Those developers now might as well learn Android, especially as the developer set up costs a lot less (you don't need a mac and the SDK is free).

    And Gruber's argument about apps looking like turds? Well, Apple guys pushed that one during the years that Microsoft destroyed Apple on the desktop when Microsoft let anarchy rule.

    I'm hoping that Apple are going to make the same mistake again, and that their platform goes down in flames for this decision.
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  9. I like John Gruber's points in http://daringfireball.net/2010/04/why_apple_changed_section_331

    For every platform developer force is crucial. No new software equals no users equals no money. Apple is protect their developer herd, removing threats and not allowing developer migration to other herds. However this not looks healthy from many points.

    Microsoft once sued for that allegedly it not allowed other browsers to Windows - just by offering default pre-installed browser. Other browsers still were allowed to be used, but court decision (at least in Europe) wasn't in MS favor. Here we have much worse situation with Apple, and I think Apple now risking to be sued too.
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  10. -----
    I was really looking forward to being able to leverage Flex and start making apps for the iPhone OS - without the overhead of having to learn Objective C.
    -----

    Yeah, and I'm looking forward to your crappy app not being on the iPhone. If you want to develop an iPhone/iPad app then learn how to do it properly. Don't bitch about how the platform is too hard for you.
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  11. > I was really looking forward to being able to leverage Flex ...

    But Adobe do not offer compile Flex to iPhone. Only Flash to iPhone.
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  12. There are too many crApps already on iTunes. Thank god Apple is preventing another 100,000 cross-platform POS apps from arriving.

    Apple clearly spends a huge amount of R&D perfecting (as far as possible) its hardware and OS and IMHO it's not too much to ask developers to use optimised toolsets to develop for it.

    This will separate the sheep from the goats. As so many Adobe whingers are saying, they will go develop for Android. Good luck and good riddance!
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  13. > But really Apple why all the Abobe hate?

    Dude, it's not about hate, it's about quality control. Apple wants and needs real developers creating apps for iPhone OS. What they don't need is a bunch of Flash hackers, I mean come on, I work with real programmers who create iPhone apps, they don't use Flash, 'cuz they're REAL app developers. Flash is weak sauce.
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  14. Don't be naive, can't you see Steve Job has a personal grudge against Adobe?
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