Following the much hyped announcement of the Apple iPad. The most talked about aspect of the device apart from the numerous jokes about feminine products, was not something that the device did or had but rather something that it didn't have. The much hyped Apple iPad does not support flash.
Steve Jobs claims that this is because adobe is lazy and flash is resource intensive and buggy.
However I have a different theory, something that fits much better with the philosophy of Apple.
Apple likes to control everything, they argue that the more control they have over the device the better your experience will be. And to a point they are correct apple has built a name for itself by creating easy to use, reliable and good looking products.
Apple also likes to make money, and in the end thats the reason they like most companies are in business. Did you know that apple takes a 30% cut out of every sale made through the app store. What that means is that apple has a vested interest in making sure users get there applications through the app store.
The web is full of flash applications, and each of those flash applications can be obtained on the web for free by anyone. Apple can not control what flash application you can use, its has no way of ensuring those applications conform to is design guidelines, meet its terms of service or do not compete with core functionality provide by the device, and most of all apple can not make money out of you using those flash applications. What apple can do is not support it.
I believe that if a company with the resource of apple really wanted flash on their device they would have it. I think the reality is they did not want it and did not believe they needed it.
What they did do however was underestimate the public backlash they would get by not providing it.
So why doesn't the ipad support flash? It because Apple wants you to get all your apps from the app store, which they control and which they make money from.
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