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Microsoft Accepts Flash For Windows Mobile

Posted by kdawson on from the embrace-is-the-first-step dept.

Ian Lamont writes "Despite Microsoft's aim to take on Adobe Flash with Silverlight, the company has decided to support Flash on Windows Mobile devices. Microsoft has also licensed the Adobe Reader LE software, so owners of Windows Mobile devices will be able to view PDFs. The two companies are working together on integration and OEM distribution, but Microsoft is still mum on when consumers will be able to use Flash or Silverlight on their Windows Mobile phones. The article points out that Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, and LG already support Flash, but only Nokia has announced Silverlight support, and only on some models starting later this year. The other major handset maker — Apple — doesn't support Flash on the iPhone and has no plans to do so in the near future."

5 of 90 comments (clear)

  1. Re:What do you expect? by twitchingbug · · Score: 2, Insightful

    in the mobile space? Are you saying that Microsoft has a monopoly there?

    Here's a a smartphone chart by OS that I found...

    If you believe it Windows Mobile has 25% market share, which, in my mind, means that they don't have a monopoly and can implement almost anything they want to, because there are ... wait for it... CHOICES in the mobile OS arena.

  2. Re:Free implementations exist by orclevegam · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Are you sure? I always thought that Mono was a completely independent implementation. At least that was what I was told at uni. Independently implemented != safe from patents. It just means it's safe from copyright and certain provisions of the DMCA. Until the idiocy of software patents is abolished doing any sort of development work on absolutely anything is the legal equivalent of running through a minefield.
    --
    Curiosity was framed, Ignorance killed the cat.
  3. Re:Flash sucks. by VoltCurve · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Yeah. I hate choices too. I'm glad the corporate masters decide for me what apps I should run on my device, and which are a waste of time (I mean, really, ENTERTAINMENT? fuck that).

  4. Re:Free implementations exist by MightyMartian · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I think there are lots of reasons to criticize Stallman, but one thing he has not been is insignificant.

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  5. Re:Replace Flash/Silverlight by an open standard by DECS · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Yes it would be so much better to replace HTML with something from the makers of the Win32 API.

    Silverlight's attempts to kill Flash will work out about as well as MSN's original effort to replace AOL. By the time it can catch up, there won't be any contest left. The real solution is to improve the HTML spec to the point where we don't need proprietary add-ons. WHATWG and HTML 5 will go a long way in doing that.

    H.264 doesn't need a Flash playing wrapper.

    iPhone 2.0 SDK: How Signing Certificates Work