[ youtube link ]
We've known since February that webOS and Palm Pre would be getting Adobe Flash by the end of 2009. Well, it's October and although we've heard things we still on track, the lack of news certainly did seem a bit troubling... until today.
Today Adobe made their big Flash Player 10.1 announcement, mostly confirming what we already knew:
Adobe Systems Incorporated today unveiled Adobe Flash Player 10.1 software for smartphones, smartbooks, netbooks, PCs and other Internet-connected devices, allowing content created using the Adobe Flash Platform to reach users wherever they are. A public developer beta of the browser-based runtime is expected to be available for Windows® Mobile, Palm® webOS and desktop operating systems including Windows, Macintosh and Linux later this year.
Certainly encouraging talk there; it's nice to see webOS mentioned specifically. What's even more interesting is the press release then continues going on, mentioning how Flash 10.1 is able to utilize the GPU for better performance. Whether that means this means the webOS version will use the GPU is not mentioned, but that'd certainly be a good way to make flash less CPU-intensive.
In addition, Adobe has posted a video demonstration of Flash 10.1 on the Pre. It's definitely worth a watch. Seems to support webOS pretty well. We previously heard device orientation and multi-touch is supported, but now we know Flash is integrated to save its state before switching to card view, saving processing power (and thus battery power) and giving an overall better user experience.
Although this demonstration only showed pretty basic examples of flash usage, it's still pretty exciting and could have far reaching future implications. If flash were done successfully, with GPU support, it certainly wouldn't be too difficult to make flash-based webOS apps.
Also, if you're a developer and want to be notified by email when the public beta of Flash 10.1 is ready for the webOS, Adobe has set up a form here.
So who wants to start the release date guessing?
Thanks to everyone that sent this in!
Comments
YESSIR!!! iWHAT?
They did a great job of showing Flash Player and the Pre.
awesome!!!
yes they did except in the end i notice the battery was really low after all that movie watching, haha!
The Flash demoing was filmed separately/prior-to the talking bit. Check out the battery when he first shows the Pre (~2/3), then during the demo (full), and then at the end (dead). They must've filmed multiple takes over a few hours.
Or Flash is a huge battery drainer (though I can't see it being that bad).
ditto just made the same comment. Hopefully over a few hours..
Damm, web OS just got even better... for sprint I'll own a Sprint HTC Hero and 2 Palm Pre's to use. Ill never return back to the iphone ever again..
What are you gonna do with a Hero? Play with widgets all day? Pshhaa!
As much as I like my Pre, after seeing the Sprint HTC Hero in person, I wouldn't imply that someone will only "play with widgets all day." The Hero really-really impressed me, so much so, I pre-ordered one. Having the Pre and the Hero will give me an idea which one I will keep as my primary device. To give you an idea how great the Sprint Hero is, it completely crushes the iphone(s), having expandable memory up to 32G's is awesome.
Ironically, you can't see the demo video without flash. Anybody have a YouTube link for us Pre users?
as an early adopter and sometimes "complainer" about the short comings of the Pre and Palm, this news is a HUGE game changer. forget an App store. you do not need it when you can use flash. this makes me glad i did not get rid of my Pre....
yea wheres the youtube link?
yea wheres the youtube link?
Release it already Adobe, if that guy is demoing it in sucha manner, release it!!!
i want it now!
You have obviously never done early tech demos. They are heavily scripted and decided exactly what to show. Deviating from the script can cause issues. These demos are meant to only use what is working perfectly. Might still have issues with other certain Flash functionality that is commonly used.
I know I've soft stepped around current bugs while giving my tech demos at times. :)
thanks for the explanation!
Did anyone notice that the battery went from FULL to "red" (meaning empty) during the course of that video? I hope that did not happen in the course of the video in real-time since he had 3 cards open with flash....
PLEASE PALM: Allow users to
1) Turn on/off Flash
2) Limit Flash (see https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/433 )
I think the ability to turn off flash would be good, but I think the option to continue to run an instance of flash when a card is minimized would also be good. In the music example given, it would be nice to be able to continue to play music while doing other things. I understand the battery saving issue, so stopping play is good default behavior, but hopefully they given an option.
Didn't even think of filter by the hosts file. I keep forgetting that the little computer I carry around all day is a Linux box, after all. :)
BTW Jason...are you a flash developer. How did you get word of this so quickly.
Either way, thanks for the update and many thanks for all you do.
It doesn't have to be Ad's for Flash to be extremely annoying. Some of us can't stand ANY type of animation on the screen while we are trying to read.
In addition, Flash:
* Eats up battery
* Eats up CPU
* Slows browsing tremendously
* Eats up memory
* Decreases security
Of course, I will welcome the ability to have Flash, but only if I can control when and how it is used. Choice is good.
To everyone with comments regarding the battery showing red at the end of the clip, make note that the video starts full at 2:36, then 5:35, then 2:37.
2:37 at the end shows it lasted a full 12 hours...or it was filmed again the following day haha
Is it me or does this video not work at all?
Works fine if you have flash. :)
That may have been the best advertisement I have ever seen for the Pre.
yes I agree completely...Palm should have Adobe Labs do their advertising. Actually I think showing off the Pre was part of the arrangement or maybe just too covenient when demoing flash content (games, web, and video) in different interfaces.
Either way, big thumbs up to Apple and Palm...working together certainly has paid off.
I think this is fantastic news and I'm looking forward to browsing the web and not seeing those annoying flash 9+ needed to display content. This also limit or eliminate the need to always open video streaming or otherwise in a new window.
Sorli...
"Either way, big thumbs up to Apple and Palm"
Freudian slip perhaps? ;-)
Yeah, especially funny considering Apple's position re Mobile Flash.
From Adobe Labs:
When will Flash Player be available on the iPhone?
Adobe needs full support from Apple beyond what is available through the SDK to enable Web browsing of Flash-based content on the iPhone. While we have been working hard to make the browser plug-in available, without increased co-operation from Apple, it will not be possible. Adobe is therefore focusing our development work on the major smartphone platforms that are working with us to deliver the most innovative and complete web browsing experience. With more than 85 percent of the top 100 websites using Flash and approximately 75% of all videos on the Web using Flash, we still believe that Flash on the iPhone would greatly benefit the millions of joint Apple and Adobe customers.
--------------------
As others have pointed out, this looks like a really good opportunity for Palm to positively differentiate webOS and the Pre from Apple and i-zilla... I sure hope they run with it.
The flash video is not working for me either, tried different browsers and tried re-installing Flash, it just doesn't play.
can't watch video on the pre sinces its flash.. And watchin on my pc slows my computer down....
whoa, that was more of a pre-advertisement than anything else! nice :-)
Off-topic: why oh why do some of you guys here at PC call WebOS "the WebOS"? I've never heard anyone seriously say "the Windows" or "the Linux" or "the Android"... Man I wish it didn't grate my nerves so much. I need to just let it go.... *sigh*
No, you're absolutely right. Nowhere else is it ever referred to as "the" webOS. And the guys here write it with the W capitalized when in all other documentation it is typed out as "webOS". P|C, get it right. It may seem like a minor nitpick, but it makes the difference between sounding/looking professional and amateurish. Also, here's a gem from this blog entry: "Whether that means this means the WebOS version..."
Someone needs to start proofreading before hitting submit.
I'll give you the grammar and capitalization issues, but "the webOS version" is correct and equivalent to "the version made for webOS."
@acaplinger: Of course that one is right. Either I'm crazy (likely), or they removed one or two others. There's only one left: "Also, if you're a developer and want to be notified by email when the public beta of Flash 10.1 is ready for the webOS ..."
PS: This is not the first article I've seen this done. But to be clear, it's not the end of the world--I haven't spent eons agonizing over this; it was just simple to rattle off a question.
I searched the Google and "the webOS" is what George Bush calls it. Thus, it must be correct.
It's called "The webOS" for the same reason Batman is called "The Batman". ;-)
Atta Boy. Nitpick on grammar for the guy who has spent countless hours writing quickinstall so we can all get the most out of our Pres. I guess Jason should quit using his considerable coding skills and take a poll on how people want him to talk about "the webOS" instead.
I for one am much more interested in his fine works on Pre coding. Jason...youda man!!!
I prefer calling it "Palm Linux" myself :)
...Black Eyed Peas?? Now I'm not so sure I want Flash anymore...
youtube link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpI6gA9cuME
Now all we need is TV adverts simply showing flash content on the Pre/Web OS.
End strap line "All of the internet in your Palm"
Fat Lady Sings!
Oh ya....that is perfect! Big Thumbs Up and you should forward this to Palm Marketing. Sorli...
PS - actually I guess they can't do this since it isn't ready for primetime...but it will be here sooner then later and always good to be prepared. :)
h0ruza, that is a great tag line!
Is it just me, or did the demo seem kinda sluggish? It lagged quite a bit during the game and during the movie trailer. If they took advantage of the GPU, wouldn't this issue be corrected?
It is not just you, I noticed it being a bit sluggish too... but hey, it is Flash... what do you expect?
On my multi-core, multi-Ghz desktop Flash can bring my system to a crawl!
He says "notice when you flick the card out of the way, the music stops playing"
WHY!?!?? This is one of my #1 hated features. I will have YouTube playing a song, then I'll want to read an e-mail I just got, but you can't do that, it will pause the song. WTF!!!!!
they do this to save battery. when you deviate away from it, it stops working. this way, when someone leaves it running in the background, its not playing all day (or at least until it kills your battery)
Typo alert: 2nd to last full paragraph: "...it's still pretty exiting and..." How "exiting" is it?!?! :-)
has anyone seen flash-lite for htc hero? this looks like it streams much better than that. kudos webOS for finally stepping up to the plate. give us users what we sorely deserve.
He was demoing only a beta-developer version
yea, i'm aware. i was just contrasting our beta to the htc hero version
Like to point out some additional downsides to Flash on webOS devices in addition to battery drain.
Device Instability: Flash makes my browsers (and computers with air) more unstable than anything else. Memory leaks are common as well as general flakiness. The tendency is for people to blame the device and not Flash for their problems, since the issue show up after leaving flash to use/launch another application after the damage is done.
Damage to webOS developer ecosystem: The sudden availability of tons of primarily free applications to webOS devices will be great for users in the short run, but may kill incentives to develop webOS specific applications. In the long run it may be that users will just have mediocre Flash apps. Can Flash grow the pool of webOS users enough that developers can still justify writing webOS applications after Flash apps drain off a chunk their potential sales?
I kinds agree and disagree...
I'm a web developer and try my best to avoid flash like the plague simply because it is resource intensive and there are other ways to do multimedia besides flash.
On the other hand, Flash has it place and is very useful as a interim vehicle till we see more direct hardware support from within the SDK.
Actually when it comes to developing for the smartphone market, I'm pretty sure many iPhone and Google developers are moving slowly but surely to the Palm Pre. If you program for the iphone and you had to fight with 10k other developers making similar apps...wouldn't it be smart to migrate to a platform with 1/100th the appsand developers. That's called no competition...
The key for developers will be how they can market there Flash & WebOS apps like regular apps on the Pre. Much of what is online game wise in flash is advertisement based to help pay for the development. I thing Flash on the Pre will open a new door to 1000s of developers who would not look at cell phones as a viable option.
I'm even more excited and it isn't even available yet. Sorli...
Zuma is on its way sooner then later...
hahaha poor iphone
exciting... great advertisement as well for the pre
does this mean Hulu?
Yes...that would rock...so much for iPhone buying TV Shows and downloading via itunes.
BTW, is anyone else tired of spelling everything Apple iPhone iMac iPod...I'm so used to doing it...I need an auto correct adjustment to make my life easier.
I guess that is what Apple calls branding...actually that is smart marketing.
Either way, Hulu, NBC, CBS, and Comingsoon.net here we come.
Wow. Really, there's no downside here. I did notice the lag in the video playback, but truthfully, when I read up on the possibilities of flash on the Pre it was said that it would be so processor intensive that it would make the Pre super sluggish and possibly not even work....
Now we look at this developers beta and I see that I must have been reading apple fanboy blogs who were just envious. You gotta love how an Adobe rep said "We are working with 19 of the 20 major handset developers." Iphone of course being the "one" missing... (yeah, i'm probably twisting that statement a bit, but its fun to do nonetheless.
So is this using the GPU or not? This is pretty important as other phone have already said they will be using the GPU to do the flash.
"Flash 10.1 will take advantage of GPU acceleration on a number of key mobile platforms, including both nVidia's Tegra and Qualcomm's Snapdragon alongside ION for smooth (well, theoretically smooth) 720p and 1080p video on the latest generation of netbooks and smartbooks."
No mention of PRE
WANT!!!!!
Hulu on my pre just around the corner eh :)
Adobe! Palm! What better partnership?
I hope that Palm offers a free IDE for creating Flash Applications for the Pre.
+1
Turning off in the background sucks.
I really want it for internet radio streaming. if it shuts off i can only do one thing at a time. i hope there is a way to keep it playing. As i'd like to listen to the radio while doing other things.
I Love This!
I can't wait for this to come out.
Just other resone that the Palm Pre Beats the iPhone...
I would be nice to know that my pre's GPU is being used for something.... Luna doesn't use it, the Apps cant use it. Does Video even use it. I bet not.
I am starting to wonder if it even has one...??
Here's hoping that the development of this Flash betters the Flash support for Linux in general. Always frustrated with the bugginess of Flash on my computers. If the pre Flash is as bad, I'm REALLY going to be pissed!
You made my day with this post, Jason! Thanks for the good news!
My first thought was comment on the battery in the video, then I noticed everyone else did. Why is it that we are all so trained to look at the battery indicator?
Oh yeah...
His battery life goes from full to nearly empty in this video, did you notice?
I love how the battery was just about dead during the presentation... I would assume that this is going to cause some serious batter drain, but I'm still excited for the release of flash 10.1.
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