You know how Adobe got their speed bump for AS3 from AS2?
They make it less a scripting language and more a programming one. As a programmer back then, I liked the move, but its a cheap move. Moving from more static to dynamics almost always result in a significant increase of speed. Its like the argument assembly is faster than C/C++, C/C++ is faster than Java/C# and Java/C# is faster than python/lua. They simply shift from one category to another and everyone think they did a wonderful job.
But this move leave lots of Flash designers out in the cold. Its frustrate them that what once work for them doesn't work for them anymore. I pity them because they shouldn't be force to play in the field of programmers. It was once their playground, but unless they upgrade themselves real hard, it seems they need to rely on programmers.
HTML5 has become a buzzword. In formal definition, its a mark up language. But its formal definition is seldom used, they tend to use it to means the future of web standard.
Flash created when JavaScript couldn't deliver back then. Now with the JavaScript wars, Apple, Mozilla, Google, Microsoft are pushing aggressively for better JavaScript speed. In near future, we should see JavaScript competing Flash in term of speed.
Google move on Flash is mostly a PR move. Flash do have the problem of CPU hogging (which in turn kill battery life) and security holes. (Search the net on Android running Flash 10.1) As for security holes, all software will face this problem. If Google truly believe in Flash is the future of RIA, they would have develop their solution (Inventor/Docs/etc) in Flash, not JavaScript. They will not release Google Gears. And they will not pushing Chrome and Android JavaScript engine speed even further. You can clearly see where their allegiance.
As for Apple, I can see their points. It can turn out to be all excuses. But I can related to their points. I was a mobile developers back then. Fragmentation, Distribution and Support are what's missing back then. No one care much about developer like us back then, not the handset manufacturer, not the telco. They are like sharks, ripping us off. We are playing a losing game, we struggled, almost drown and no one save us, until Apple. Talk about open, in my opinion, Apple have open up and regulated a competitive market for developer. Something we desperately need in a world where developer always get the last small piece of the cake. That's the spirit of the indie movement in the game industry.
Their engineering from hardware to software to usability are top notch. You have to see it to believe it. A lot of their User Experience (UX) is bluntly copied by Google. These UX might seems nothing but it take years to come up with it. Android copied from iOS. That's is evident all over Android. Apple talk obsess with UX make them seems like a conman but only when you experience it will you realize they are not kidding in that expect. UX have been they strategy in any market and Google using Android to taunt Apple's iOS is like Microsoft using Windows on Apple Macintosh. They both copied from Apple. Be it UX or Font Typeface. Apple does copied from Xerox and others too. But what I am saying here is that credit have to be given when it is due. Also, doing it first doesn't necessary mean doing it right. Apple want to do everything right and better. Others one to do everything first.
Adobe have stir up quite a bit of disharmony and probably had already closed its own door to Flash in iOS. Although Apple do have a lot of say Flash is in or out but Adobe inability to improve Flash in places where it matters also caused their rejection. They are like a bad lover. Flash is probably in its later years of its lifecycle and Adobe is probably busy thinking of strategies to milk its 5+ billions investment. Flash have been great during its golden age and served us well. Moving forward, JavaScript (together with HTML and CSS) is probably a better plane to take us into the future.
There's really no reason in needing to install another plugin just to have a full web experience.
