This came up in an image search for 'Flash' and 'Apple'.

There are many articles and blog posts about the brewing fight between Apple and Adobe over flash. There’s usually one of two takes on the subject. The first is about why Adobe or Apple are in the right about the fight. The second is a discussion about the technical merits of HTML 5 video, Flash video, and the like.

None of this really matters to the bulk of digital media professionals, though. In fact, the only thing that really matters is what the consequences of this fight mean to the people who have to make the blogs, the websites, the applications, and more for all the users out there who don’t care about who “wins” in this latest iteration of web wars.

The short version: If you’re running video on the web, make flash websites, have existing legacy flash sites, and more, be prepared to build a different version of your site for these other platforms. If this concept feels familiar, it is. It’s the latest iteration of broadband vs. dial-up websites, Windows Vs. Quicktime Vs. Real, Mobile Vs. Web, and more. In 12 to 18 months, there may be another ‘battle’ over standards, formats, and the like, and this current ‘battle’ will have likely been settled for a short time. In the interim, though, be ready for some early 2000 style web chaos.
Read More »