Apple's CEO Steve Jobs open letter to the full text shelling Flash

REVIEW: Apple CEO Steve Jobs Thursday issued an open letter about Flash, Apple decided not to list the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch all the reasons to support Flash. Following is the text of open letter:

Some Thoughts on the Flash

A long-standing relationship between Apple and Adobe. In fact, when Adobe was still just a garage, a small company, we meet on and its founder had. Apple is their first big customer. We Postscript language used in their latest Laserwriter laser printer at that time. Apple has been investing in Adobe, Adobe shareholders for many years is, with its 20% stake. The two companies have worked closely to create the desktop publishing industry; there are many good times together. But that part of the golden age is over, the two companies parted ways. Apple experienced a near-death experience, Adobe Acrobat family by virtue of its products into the enterprise market. Today, the two companies together only in the creative industries to provide products and services customers - Adobe's Creative Suites products, buyers, about half of Apple computer users. But in addition we have almost nothing in common with the Adobe interests at all.

I would like to write a little hastily Adobe's Flash products we have any views, so customers and critics will be able to better understand why we in the iPhone, iPod and iPad products block Flash. Adobe has criticized us that Flash is blocked because you want to protect the Apple online store, purely commercial interests. But the fact is that Flash is blocked because of technical problems. Adobe claimed that Apple is a closed system, Flash is open. But the reality is the opposite. Let me explain:

The first is "open."

Adobe's Flash products are 100% technology patents. Only Adobe can buy these products, while only Adobe has the right to improve it, pricing and so on. Having said that Flash is everywhere, but this does not mean that these products are open. The reason is that Adobe totally own and controls these products. So almost no matter from which point of view, Flash is a closed system.

Apple also has a number of patented products. Despite that iPhone, iPod and iPad systems are patented, but we always believed that all technical standards are the Internet should be open. Therefore, Apple refused to use Flash, but with HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript, and all are open standards. Benefit from these open standards, Apple’s mobile devices has shown the advantages of low power consumption and high performance. HTML5 is the latest network standards, has Google, Apple and many other companies use, it allows developers to develop more advanced graphics, printing and animation, and does not require third-party browser plug-ins (such as Flash) will be able to convert. HTML5 is fully open, by a joint management of its standards committee, Apple is one of them.

Apple also develops open standards for the Internet. For example, Apple's open source project from a small start developed a WebKit. It is a completely open source HTML5 rendering engine and core components Safari browser, is installed in all of our products. WebKit has been widely adopted. Google Android system in the browser to use it, Palm, Nokia also use it, the BlackBerry maker RIM has also announced that it will use WebKit. Other than Microsoft, almost the entire smart phone Internet browser equipped with a WebKit. WebKit open by positioning technology, Apple has actually developed a mobile Internet browser standard.

Second “the entire network."

Adobe has repeatedly claimed that Apple's mobile device can not access the "entire network", because 75% of the Web video is Flash format. But they did not mentioned is that almost all Flash format video are other more advanced formats: H.264, while the iPhone, iPod and iPad support this format. The number of YouTube videos of the entire network of about 40% of Apple's mobile devices can all play the video. iPad will provide best-ever YouTube video experience. In addition, Vimeo, Netflix, Facebook, ABC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, ESPN, NPR, "Time magazine", "New York Times," "The Wall Street Journal," "Sports Illustrated", "character" , "National Geographic" and so on site video, Apple can smooth playback. How much video is no iPhone, iPod and iPad users can not watch.

Another reason is that Adobe Apple devices can not play Flash games. This is true. Luckily, Apple's online store offers more than 50,000 games and entertainment applications, many of them are free. iPhone, iPod and iPad's games and entertainment applications to more than any other platform.

Third, on the reliability, security and performance

Symantec recently pointed out, Flash safety record in 2009 ranked last. We also have a hand information to prove that Flash is the leading cause of crash of Mac systems. We have cooperation with Adobe to solve these problems, but they still continue to haunt us. We do not want to reduce the iPhone, iPod and iPad reliability and security, it refused to use Flash.

Symantec recently pointed out, Flash safety record in 2009 ranked last. We also have a hand information to prove that Flash is the leading cause of crash of Mac systems. We have cooperation with Adobe to solve these problems, but they still continue to haunt us. In addition, Flash performance on mobile devices has been poor. Over the past few years, we have repeatedly requested that Adobe Flash can run well on mobile devices, but so far we have not seen any of the performance of Flash. Adobe has said publicly that Flash will be in early 2009 by a smart phone adoption, then changed to say that in the second half, later changed to say the first half of 2010, and now they say to wait until the second half of 2010. We believe that one day it will become true, but we are fortunate to not expect too much. Who knows how it will show it?

Fourth, The life time

Video playback, to achieve a longer life time, this mobile device must pass the hardware video decoding, because the software to consume too much power. Now a lot of chips for mobile devices including a decoder called H.264, which is an industry standard, in all Blu-ray DVD players were used at the same time by Apple, Google, Vimeo, and Netflix so many companies widely adopted.

Although Flash has recently added support for H.264, but almost all Flash site requires the older generation video decoder to decode, and must be run by software, which has long been used not for mobile chips. The difference is amazing: for example, on the iPhone, H.264 standard video can be up to 10 hours playback, but with software decoding of video will only play less than 5 hours.

Web re-use the H.264 video encoding, you can totally do not use Flash technology. These videos are in Apple's Safari and Google Chrome browser playback, completely without any plug-in iPhone, iPod and iPad also very effective on the play.

Fifth, The touch screen

Flash is to use a mouse designed for personal computers, rather than finger-controlled touch screen. For example, there are many Flash contains rollover, that is, when the cursor rolls over a certain point, it will pop up menu or other element. Apple's multi-touch screen technology no longer need a mouse, there is no concept of a rollover. Accordingly, many Flash sites must be improved to meet with a touch screen device. If the developers need to improve their Flash website, why not use such as HTML5, CSS and JavaScript that more advanced technology?

Even if the iPhone, iPod and iPad support to run Flash, does not solve the problem.

Sixth, The most important reason

Apart from Flash closed, arbitrary, technical defects and shortcomings of the equipment is not compatible with the touch, and we refuse to use Flash there is a more important reason. We discussed the use of Flash video and interactive broadcast network content of these shortcomings; however, developers still use Adobe Flash to develop Apple equipment.

Over the past bitter experience has made us realize, to get involved in a third-party software developers and platforms, will only lead to sub-standard applications, hinder the improvement and development platform. If the developers of the third-party libraries and tools to produce dependence, then the only choice in the third-party add new functionality, developers can take full advantage of platform experience and superiority. We can not be influenced by the decision of a third party.

If third-party cross-platform development tool, that situation would be worse. Third party may refuse to accept a certain platform, enhanced tools, unless these tools can also be other platforms supported by the use of it. In this way, developers can only use the platform shared by all the functions of the lowest level. Apple can not accept this result, so that developers simply because of our innovation and enhance the tool does not appear in our competitor's platform, but can not use these tools.

Flash is a cross-platform development tools. Adobe's goal is not to help developers for the iPhone, iPod and iPad best application development. Their goal is to help developers create cross-platform applications. Increasing the Apple platform, enhanced Adobe application has been slow. For example, although Mac OS X has been introduced to into the 10-year, Adobe CS5 two weeks before the launch of the platform when fully accepted. Adobe is the last fully accepted third made Mac OS X developers.


Conclusion

Flash for the PC era was born for the personal computer and the mouse appears. Adobe Flash is a successful business, so we can fully understand why they want to extend it to areas outside the PC. However, age is a low-power mobile device, touch screen interface and the era of open network standards, Flash has been out of date.

Proved, flash is no longer necessary for the Internet video viewing. Apple's online store for more than 200,000 applications have also proved, flash graphics and games for tens of thousands of developers, is no longer necessary.

New open standard has been created, such as HTML5 such standards will be in mobile devices and personal computers the same success. Perhaps Adobe should focus on the development of more HTML5 tool, not a criticism of Apple to abandon obsolete.