The Apple/Flash Fight Comes To An End With An App Approval Process That’s Open As The Outcome
The Apple/Flash feud that began last spring seems to have run its course. App programmers were just a little puzzled that Apple really let up in their announcement on Thursday to relax iPad and iPhone app limits on developing tools. App authorization regulations can be released to the public also. Apple declared this as well. Apple didn’t say that Flash would be used now in Steve Jobs’ announcement, however now Adobe’s popular app toolkit is available. Adobe can thank Apple for sending its stock soaring on the news.
Fight Apple/Flash had
The Apple/Flash feud started last April when Apple declared that iPhone and iPad apps could only be written in one of a select few Apple-approved programming languages. According to PC World, the iPhone and iPad could not have Adobe Flash CS5 Flash Packager with Apple’s policy. Adobe CS5 was mostly used for the iPhone with the Flash Packager. The iPhone’s other platforms were what the Adobe’s Flash cross-platform toolkit was made for. Steve Jobs didn’t like that idea. That has changed. It was different before. Thursday was the day things changed. It was all better. Developers have it easy with Flash now. They can make apps to run on Apple’s iOS while publishing it once and also run it on Google’s Android.
Public viewing Apple’s app approval process
Apple’s draconian app approval process has not only been modified, it’s being made public. The Apple App Store Review Guidelines used to be secret rules that decided on whether or not the iPhone or iPad would allow the developer’s app to be used. iPhone and iPad apps used to have lots of “fart apps,” or junk applications. This was because the Apple App store authorization was not letting in lots of top flight development talent. Before Thursday’s announcement, developers wouldn’t know if they had broken a rule until their app was rejected by Apple. Months of toil and thousands of dollars might be flushed down the drain. Programmers just want to know what the rules are, although what they are doesn’t really matter, says Wired.
Why Apple changed its tune
There was no explanation from Apple as to why it is changing its mind about Adobe Flash and other third-party tools. It also didn’t say why it is releasing Store Review Guidelines. This lack of detail has led to speculation by bloggers like Philip Elmer-DeWitt at Fortune. The leading theories, as outlined by DeWitt, are developer feedback, competition and regulation. Since Apple usually makes programmers do whatever it wants, he didn’t think it’d be the option of feedback. Competition from Android-powered smartphones and a coming wave of Android tablets no doubt makes Apple feel confronted. The Apple/Flash feud has caused an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission on Apple. It is investigating the ban on cross-development platforms by Apple. Apple is not as lucky as Adobe. Adobe got what it wanted.
Discover more info on this subject
PC World
pcworld.com/article/205114/apple_lifts_app_store_approval_shroud_for_developers.html?tk=hp_new
Wired
wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/09/apple-lifts-app-store-flash-ban-publishes-app-review-rules/
Fortune
tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/09/09/why-did-apple-lift-its-ban-on-flash/
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