Steve Jobs: Adobe are a bunch of assholes. Adobe: No, you are.

I love it - geek drama.

So Steve Jobs said ( http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughts-on-flash/ ) this, paraphrased:

1. Flash is bulky and proprietary

2. It doesn't run on a any mobile devices

3. I want control of what I put on my bullshit gadgets

4. Even if I wasn't such a complete control freak, Flash is not ready for the touchscreen world

THEN, Adobe said ( http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2010/04/29/live-blogging-the-journals-interview-with-adobe-ceo/?mod=wsj_share_digg ) this, paraphrased:

1. The requirements for running Flash are transparent

2. Apple products are just as proprietary as Adobe products, if not more

3. Flash works on a lot of different systems

4. Flash will debut shortly on mobile devices like Android (supposedly next week) and other systems soon to follow, because they played by the rules.

5. Fuck you for over reaching, you selfish prick



So who's right? In my opinion, both of them.

First of all, Flash does need a replacement or a serious reboot from the ground up. It's bulky and buggy. It's been molded to work in ways it was not designed for. It's also a coding nightmare. I give Adobe credit for making AMAZING development tools: Photoshop, Captivate, Fireworks, Dreamweaver, etc. But Flash (Player) is a delivery system, and one that doesn't make good like their other products. Adobe really needs to revamp their flagship player before something else becomes the interwebberz standard. Seriously.

Adobe, on the other hand, is completely right in the charges they fired back at Apple.

Mainly, it was foolish to make a product like the Ipad and expect everyone to change their business habits to fuel your profits. What the fuck were you guys thinking? Forget the 'pod or 'phone. This is about the Ipad. The requirements for Flash are plain as day and you idiots refused to work with industry standards. So now you have a web product that can't access the web properly yet it's someone's fault other than Apple's? Sheer arrogance, Mr. Jobs. You made an inferior product and your costumers are now paying for your mistake.

Also, Apple has gone way overboard in their iTunes/Big Brother model of software distribution; mainly, they're scared shitless of losing power, and ultimately money, to free applications. No product can or will be sold without going through the iStore. Sorry, Apple, this is complete bullshit. Imagine if Flash developers started making apps to access Hulu or Netflix. Uh oh.

Ultimately, this war will not favor well for Apple. I give them credit for dragging Adobe out and showing the public some of their glaring faults. But really, Apple's problem is one they placed on themselves and passed on to their customers. I feel sorry for anyone who bought the iPad. It was obsolete out of the box. This is just a sad attempt to preemptively place blame on Adobe for the discomfort their fans are going to feel with their new purchases.

Furthermore, I think it's unwise for Apple to bite the hand that feeds. Apple needs Adobe, not the other way around. 10 years ago, Adobe was dependent on Mac users to use their development tool. Now, just the opposite is true. All it would take is for Adobe to purposely exclude Mac software architecture (a feat not hard to do) and Apple would be all but ruined.

But you might be right with this comment..." feel sorry for anyone who bought the iPad. It was obsolete out of the box.". For some reason Ipad has never seemed like a product to me that would be useful in an office..Its struck me as a big toy for people (like FReepers from Virginia ;)) to play with.
BTW, I did not at first look at who had started this thread but I first thought "Steve jobs, asshole...I bet Symarip will have a comment"....:)