Originally Posted by Dark 1:
“If Apple had simply allowed Flash onto iOS, there would have been far less incentive for web content providers to look for alternatives, and we'd be stuck with it indefinitely.
It's just a pity it hasn't been similarly banished from Android. That just prolongs the pain even longer.”
Indeed.
Sure, the main reason was probably money/control, not wanting apps & games to bypass the App Store, etc., but... I think the end result has been good overall. The lack of Flash on iOS devices has helped drive the decreased reliance on Flash by various sites and services. I think you're right that if Apple had allowed Flash, more sites would still use it, or not offer an alternative, and we'd be stuck with it for longer.
[Just look at the share iOS has of digital traffic in the
US and the "
EU5" (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain). It's quite a large market to cater for...]
I don't need Flash on my iPhone/iPad... iPlayer works via the browser (iPad and iPhone) and an app (iPad); 4oD and ITV Player both have apps; YouTube works via the browser and an app; Freeview TV can be streamed via the browser (TVCatchup) or an app; Sky News, BBC News, and C4 News all have apps; etc. etc. etc. All that's really left are adverts (I don't want those), browser games (I don't play them), and Flash-based websites (ugh!). Flash can get stuffed.