Tablet Musings • Hacker News Board

Re: Tablet Musings

#11

Post by there » Thu, Jan 07, 2010, 5:49 PM UTC

GHFigs wrote: post #10

I'm amazed that anybody is still expecting Flash. Has the iPhone not conclusively demonstrated that Flash is a legacy feature of dwindling relevance?

no, it hasn't. for video, maybe, but there are still a lot of websites that are useless on mobile safari without flash just for stupid things like animated menus.

Re: Tablet Musings

#12

Post by brk » Thu, Jan 07, 2010, 5:51 PM UTC

axod wrote: post #9

jcnnghm wrote: post #3

Not including flash on a tablet seems like a mistake to me. It's one thing on a cell phone, but quite another on a device that will probably be positioned as a casual use computer.

The future isn't flash (IMHO). I think leaving it out makes absolute perfect sense. It also makes commercial sense - they don't want people playing flash games on the web, they want them buying games from the appstore.

The future isn't flash

Yeah, well the future also isn't here yet.

Flash still has much relevance for any web-surfing focused product shipping today.

Re: Tablet Musings

#13

Post by axod » Thu, Jan 07, 2010, 5:57 PM UTC

there wrote: post #11

GHFigs wrote: post #10

I'm amazed that anybody is still expecting Flash. Has the iPhone not conclusively demonstrated that Flash is a legacy feature of dwindling relevance?

no, it hasn't. for video, maybe, but there are still a lot of websites that are useless on mobile safari without flash just for stupid things like animated menus.

There will always be crazys using silverlight/flash/java applets for ridiculous things. Best avoid them.

Re: Tablet Musings

#14

Post by thechangelog » Thu, Jan 07, 2010, 5:58 PM UTC

GHFigs wrote: post #10

I'm amazed that anybody is still expecting Flash. Has the iPhone not conclusively demonstrated that Flash is a legacy feature of dwindling relevance?

Maybe on mobile, but certainly not the desktop. While I would certainly prefer to build everything in HTML/JS/CSS, if I want a media player or gallery that works predictably and consistently Flash is certainly the best way to go. Ditto online advertising.

Since Adobe rolled out AS3 I would say the Flash platform is as vibrant as ever.

Re: Tablet Musings

#15

Post by GHFigs » Thu, Jan 07, 2010, 5:58 PM UTC

there wrote: post #11

GHFigs wrote: post #10

I'm amazed that anybody is still expecting Flash. Has the iPhone not conclusively demonstrated that Flash is a legacy feature of dwindling relevance?

no, it hasn't. for video, maybe, but there are still a lot of websites that are useless on mobile safari without flash just for stupid things like animated menus.

just for stupid things like animated menus

Like I said: dwindling relevance. Nobody in their right mind uses Flash for anything important. The one small exception is games, but the iPhone platform has no shortage of games that are faster, better looking, and better tailored to the platform than anything you can do in Flash.

Re: Tablet Musings

#16

Post by thechangelog » Thu, Jan 07, 2010, 6:00 PM UTC

GHFigs wrote: post #15

there wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

no, it hasn't. for video, maybe, but there are still a lot of websites that are useless on mobile safari without flash just for stupid things like animated menus.

just for stupid things like animated menus Like I said: dwindling relevance. Nobody in their right mind uses Flash for anything important. The one small exception is games, but the iPhone platform has no shortage of games that are faster, better looking, and better tailored to the platform than anything you can do in Flash.

cough cough YouTube? (also, the majority of online display advertising, Facebook and countless other uploaders, etc...)

Re: Tablet Musings

#17

Post by simonw » Thu, Jan 07, 2010, 6:03 PM UTC

brk wrote: post #12

axod wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The future isn't flash (IMHO). I think leaving it out makes absolute perfect sense. It also makes commercial sense - they don't want people playing flash games on the web, they want them buying games from the appstore.

The future isn't flash Yeah, well the future also isn't here yet. Flash still has much relevance for any web-surfing focused product shipping today.

Yes it is, it's just not yet evenly distributed.

Re: Tablet Musings

#18

Post by josefresco » Thu, Jan 07, 2010, 6:07 PM UTC

GHFigs wrote: post #10

I'm amazed that anybody is still expecting Flash. Has the iPhone not conclusively demonstrated that Flash is a legacy feature of dwindling relevance?

In what world is Flash 'dwindling in relevance'? Maybe the hyper progressive iphone-toting geek world but down here on planet earth, where we still browse the web with things called computers, Flash has massive leverage and I don't see it going anywhere for years.

Re: Tablet Musings

#19

Post by josefresco » Thu, Jan 07, 2010, 6:08 PM UTC

simonw wrote: post #17

brk wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The future isn't flash Yeah, well the future also isn't here yet. Flash still has much relevance for any web-surfing focused product shipping today.

Yes it is, it's just not yet evenly distributed.

So that would mean that the 'evenly distributed' future isn't here yet? Wouldn't that still make it the future? Oh wait my head asploded.

Re: Tablet Musings

#20

Post by sophacles » Thu, Jan 07, 2010, 6:13 PM UTC

csuper wrote: post #7

spazmaster wrote: post #5

The browsing experience will be more of a core thing for the Tablet than for the iPhone. One reason for this is that I expect the Tablet will replace the low-end MacBooks and will need to offer great e-mail and browsing experience. (Alas) too many sites currently rely on Flash to not include it in the Tablet OS.

Form and function wise I just don't get tablets. I don't seem them replacing MacBooks.

Laptops are kind of awkward when doing something besides sitting and using a laptop. So when cooking, or when gaming (bg more than vg), or fixing stuff around the house, or whatever, tablet form makes sense. It is an information lookup device, like puting documents on a clipboard, more than a laptop replacement.