Hardware 2.0

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Why I won't be installing Flash (or Frash) on my iPhone

By Adrian Kingsley-Hughes | August 9, 2010, 8:27am PDT

Well, it now appears that you can install Flash (or a port of it called Frash) working on your iPhone. Good. Great. That’s an amazing technical achievement, but it’s not something I’m going to be doing - at least not yet.

Here’s why …

Well, first off, if you head over to Grant Pannell’s website to check out the compiled Frash binaries that are based on coding done by Comex, you’ll come across the following disclaimer:

DISCLAIMER: The compiled binaries are based upon ALPHA code by COMEX. Code from the github repository can change minutely creating a significantly more stable version of code. DO NOT expect this compiled code to work on every Flash object or even be the slightest bit stable.

Sorry, but as cool as getting Flash to work on iOS is, the uncertainty of it not working right and being unstable far outweighs my desire to have Flash running on the platform. I don’t need that. I really don’t. I don’t really like having Flash on my desktop system, but it’s a necessary evil, but I’ve managed without Flash on my iPad and iPhone so far. If Frash on the iPhone was as stable as Flash on the desktop, that would be one thing, but the idea that it could be even more unstable doesn’t appeal to me in the least.

Then there’s the installation process. Check out this video and you’ll see that it’s not a simple one-click download and install.

I can see Frash going through a rapid evolution, and the idea of installing endless updates really doesn’t appeal to me.

So kudos to those involved in this project, but I’ll pass. Maybe in six months or so the project will have matured to the point where it’s easier and offers greater stability, but right now it seems like more trouble than it’s worth.

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Apple iPhone, Frash, Flash, Smart Phones, Desktops, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Hardware, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology.

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I think you have to jail break as well...

mr1972 10th Aug 2010

I am not sure but I heard you need to jail break your iPhone as well to get Frash to work. When I owned an iPhone I needed a lot of tech support so jail breaking wasn't an option for me.

Getting Flash on an iPhone would not be a big inducement for me to jailbreak and beside you are getting a flaky version of Flash which is kind of flaky to begin with. Just saying.

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What a keen sense of the obvious

etpz 9th Aug 2010

Yes, frash is an alpha release, which by definition is unstable. If you don't want unstable software, don't install alphas. Do you seriously get paid for writing articles like this?

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RE: Why I won't be installing Flash (or Frash) on my iPhone

HypnoToad72 9th Aug 2010

@etpz - not everybody knows that fact, re: alpha-grade software. Mind you, there was once a day that beta-grade software wasn't released for public use either. These days beta-class software is released as the actual 'gold release' product. sad

Has been the case for years...

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Yes and No

dragosani 9th Aug 2010

@HypnoToad72

What you say isn't untrue. The software industry has gotten lax on properly using alpha, beta, and gold

However in this case they specifically state that it is alpha and explain exactly why you may not want to use this code.

"DO NOT expect this compiled code to work on every Flash object or even be the slightest bit stable."

No reason for anyone to get confused about what alpha status means for this software.

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RE: Why I won't be installing Flash (or Frash) on my iPhone

nomorebs 9th Aug 2010

@etpz : get accustomed to it, Mr. PC doctor writes garbage most of the time

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Its not complicated

liddar@... 9th Aug 2010

You need to add the benq repository and then search for the Frash and Frash toggle.

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Article Suggestions

Mic Cox 9th Aug 2010

Research what Alpha means in a software context and write an article about so you don't have to bash every other alpha release...then apologize to Grant.

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Waste of time

dag10 9th Aug 2010

That's the definition of an Alpha software! Don't write about this stuff.

It's like making a whole blog post about "Why I don't be testing the latest alpha build of ". Of course it's going to be unstable. Just don't use it.

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RE: Why I won't be installing Flash (or Frash) on my iPhone

jkohut 9th Aug 2010

I believe this is called "Freedom of Choice", enough said. Maybe you could actually spend some time covering OTHER issues and Mobile Operating Systems so we can have a look at the complete landscape instead of telling us why you aren't installing Flash ?

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So this is nothing against the idea of Flash

Michael Kelly 9th Aug 2010

but rather something against being an alpha or beta tester. That I can understand, especially considering that this is a device you need to use and its battery life is not infinite.

I'm not a fan of Flash either, but sometimes you need it to use a web site you need (or want). Which is why I like the option of being able to have it. I actually do not have Flash installed on my G1 (with Froyo) because in general I do not need Flash, but I do have the binary sitting on my SD card in case I ever change my mind.

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Once it gets out of alpha...

WaltFrench@... 9th Aug 2010

There've been PC-based non-Adobe Flash viewers, but they've gone exactly nowhere. On the iPhone, there's certainly more demand, but it'll be interesting to see what fraction of sites actually WORK with Frash ? much of the Flash format is "secret" and it's all Copyright ? Adobe, so if some clever types reverse engineer enough, I suspect we'll see Adobe sue.

Cuz lots of Flash developers DEPEND on the secrets to keep their work "closed" to people who would copy it. Lots of the big sites, say, the WSJ, also depend on keeping their content only delivered from their site and not stripped of its ads and possibly passed around. These folks are NOT leading the charge for independent Flash on the iPhone or anywhere else.

I will *GUESS* that if Frash actually is able to work on most sites, the lawsuits, showing Adobe's disingenuity about "openness," will come flying.

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RE: Why I won't be installing Flash (or Frash) on my iPhone

condelirios 9th Aug 2010

WTF is A FRASH? lol. happy

Who installs this stuff and expects it to work right? Apple needs to get a clue and make nice with Adobe.

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RE: Why I won't be installing Flash (or Frash) on my iPhone

klassendg 9th Aug 2010

@condelirios
You've got it the wrong way around. This is Adobe's failure to deliver. If they'd delivered great implementations of Flash for mobile platforms, Apple would have to let it in. But they haven't.