Will the iPad ever get flash support?

Adobe has ceased production of mobile flash on all devices. The majority of channels do have apps, almost all I've come across do. They are not simply web pages, and I prefer to use them

Those browsers aren't flash enabled, they are converting the content via their servers

@RMJFlack Tablets are good for content consumption, and somewhat less good for creation of same. While some may argue that it's completely possible to bang out a chapter of your next novel using an iPad, I would submit that doing so would be somewhat more annoying than using an old laptop with a keyboard (or indeed a typewriter if it came to that).

Regarding your questions:

a) HTML isn't Apple's alternative, it's more a matter of what's left when you don't have Flash. It's not unlike pushing your car around as an alternative to having an engine.

b) As HTML5 browsers go, Safari is one of the more capable ones. It's more a case of HTML5/Javascript being less efficient than Flash at certain tasks (for example, generating and rendering a lot of vectors).

(Semi-off topic trivia .... I was amazed to see the othet day that our local Staples still sells electric typewriters - who knew?! Actually I guess it's more accurate to say they stock them ....)

Agree about that Novel - im just curious to see to what extent the touch interface et cetera may compensate in other directions I (at least) haven't yet thought of. For example (and of course they could be done on a desktop too) there is always dictation for that Novel. I'm guessing the technology isn't quite there yet but Im guessing a lot of ppl are working on improving it. We old dogs need to learn some new tricks perhaps.

Perhaps I haven't searched diligently enough, but for example here in Canada I haven't yet found apps for Showcase, Moviepix, Space or HBO channels.

MY comment about html5 efficiency was from a PC Advisor review of browsers that, iirc, showed Safari significantly slower than Chrome and Firefox. You'd think Apple would would want to have the very best browser for non Flash content.

Typed (rapidly) on my iPad.

This issue interests me as I have Flash titles on my web sites and I need to find an alternative that still gives me simple animations (light flash on hover and moving text)

The suggestion that there are browsers that can render Flash content is irrelevant as few people use those browsers and most just use Safari so it is what Safari can render is the definer of what formats are used on a web site.

There is also0 a vast difference between a site showing videos for which it is viable to have an app for streaming that content and the more gemneral use of Flash in web sites for titles and other simple animations. Those web sites are almost always going to be viewed in a browser, and mostly in Safari.

What is the best approach to replacing simple Flash animations in a web site with animations that iOS can render? Do animated GIFs work? (Photoshop can make animated GIFs) Or is there a better solution?

Gif animations work fine - actually it's a technique which seems to have come back into vogue lately and there are some really nice examples floating around. That's the only "scriptless" solution. Everything else requires a bunch of Javascript in order to do the animation bits. If you're ok with that, then there are a bunch of ways to animate, including, but not limited to:

- PNG sprites (there are a bunch of pre built javascript libraries for this)

- Use a library such as JQuery for making things zip around, change colour or fade in/out etc

- Do some mojo with canvas (no good if you need backward compatibility with old browsers - e.g. ie8).

Take a look on Adobe Labs at their "Wallaby" tool -- that will take a flash timeline animation and spit it out in a form that will run in mobile safari (or other webkit browsers). It's a bit rough in terms of features but it works well enough. CS6 is meant to have some capability in this regard also -- haven't got around to trying it out yet though.

You can do several different things. Sounds like CSS3 /JQuery is your best option. Wallaby is also very nice. You can use Flash to create, Wallaby to convert, and Edge to clean up. Then, put it all into Dreamweaver...

Allan, my ipad is on the mail. I just bought it. However, paying $600 for something that won't give me ALL that i need to do is simply not worthy. I will return it. not even will bother opening it. too dissapointing.

Dnino

Open the box and enjoy ALL that the iPad CAN do. - simple

I'm upset that mine won't make my morning coffee for me and, worse, it burns the toast!

Wow, I am problably in the wrong forum. Or ,maybe not. Sorry about hurting your fillings, I didn't know you were so sensitive.....(it may be an iPad fan thing) I can see what you use your iPad for...hehe. By the way, I am curious why android now has 75% of the tablet's market in the world! and Philly, your level 5? Does it includes cheesy jokes.... Hehe. You can do better than that,.. Good luck guys.

Dnino4 wrote:

By the way, I am curious why android now has 75% of the tablet's market in the world!

You're delusional:

http://www.t3.com/news/new-ipad-3-sales-boosts-apples-share-of-tablet-market

Yeah you have to be careful around Ipad fans, because they fly off the handle pretty easily when you talk about the Pad with with the I in front of it. Unless you are interested in a laugh to see how quickly they explode you should ask your questions nicely. Me personally I prefer the explosion as those responses are more funny to read.

I don't believe it is the Tablet that over took IPad although it will eventually. As people realize app coming out for the IPad are just rehashes of what's already on the market people start to wonder, why should I pay all this money for an Ipad when I can get the same thing on an Android? Funny story... yesterday my company went through the process of upping their security of the network and there was a whole string Apple user in our company fun list complaining and trying to figure out how to connect through vpn again. Though I was up and running in under 5 minutes on my Galaxy Tab 2 they were having major issues. Personally I don't blame the apple products... I'm pretty sure they should be able to connect no problem. I was more inclined to blame the user for not having any common sense and not being able to think.

I believe you are referring to Samsung Galaxy phone sales over taking Iphone sales. And if you add all of Android phone sales... well that number probably grows big time. But I have seen lately a lot of the kids having Iphones although they don't look like the new Iphones... more like the one of the first Iphones that were in the shape of a sardine can. Maybe they were hand me downs.

You'll get over it.

The thing that continues to puzzle me is that one keeps hearing "flash is dead" yet I am frequently faced with web pages with flash content. I'd say two or three times a day. It's a shame as otherwise Safari is quite a nice browser for iPad. The solution is easy, use other browsers, so it's not a deal breaker but what does intrigue me is the basis for that assertion, which based on my experience is patently false. (The sites I mostly visit are news, current affairs, wine & food related).

Flash isn't dead. Neither is Paul. But Flash mobile developement is dead (Adobe closed the division and laid everyone off) and Flash is still security challenged and on life support. I rarely run into sites that are exclusively Flash.

It will always be around, nothing dies on the internet.