Will Steve Jobs ever let iPad owners have Flash?
Consumers are caught in the middle of a battle between Apple ad Adobe. But will the popularity of the iPad eventually mean that Steve Jobs will have to let iPad owners have Flash?
Some numbers for you to mull over.
According to a survey by ChangeWave, some 1 in 5 US consumers plan on buying an iPad. But, when existing iPad owners were surveyed about their pet peeves, the lack of Flash support came in at the top, grabbing some 17% of the vote.
Two things can happen:
- The iPad is such an overwhelming success that content providers either have to drop Flash or support two content delivery platforms to satisfy the needs to iPad users
- The number of iPad owners hits a critical mass where Apple can no longer defend its stance on having the iPad a Flash-free zone and will have to give in to Adobe
Which will it be?
We've certainly seen Apple bend in the past, but my feeling is that we're not going to see any change of heart over Flash. Apple obviously has a dislike for Flash, and unless Adobe come out with a far superior platform, I see the iPad and iPhone remaining Flash-free.