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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."

7 of 90 comments (clear)

  1. Free implementations exist by l2718 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Flash and Silverlight are fully documented, and there exists free implemenetations: Gnash and Moonlight, respectively.

    1. Re:Free implementations exist by CRCulver · · Score: 3, Interesting

      "Free Software" suggests there are no patent traps to be concerned about, and that's certainly not true with anything involving Mono.

    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.
  2. I for one by imamac · · Score: 3, Funny

    miss all those flash ads on my iPhone.

  3. I've had flash and PDF for years now by Timothy+Chu · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Hmmm...don't know why this is news:

    Flash: http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer_pocketpc/downloads/player.html

    PDF: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/acrrppcdload.html

    I've had these installed since 2005.

    Note that some flash videos like youtube videos, won't run in this implementation of Flash (so perhaps the article is referring to a version of Flash that *will* run streaming video). The widgets that web site designers tend to embed in their bloated websites do load for me with Windows Mobile 2003.

    The "news" part of this may be that it's MS supporting this, not Adobe as it currently is, which may mean a better implementation.

  4. The World's Most Unusable Browser by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 4, Funny

    Now burdened with Flash!

    Gee. My phone ALREADY locks up, when browsing ("I TRIED to answer your call!), What'll YouTube do to it?

    --
    "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
    Never been known to fail..."
  5. iPhone don't need no steenken Flash by Wylfing · · Score: 5, Funny

    The other major handset maker -- Apple -- doesn't support Flash on the iPhone and has no plans to do so in the near future.

    That's because everyone will switch to Quicktime! Oh yes! It's catching on like wildfire.

    --
    Our intelligent designer has never created an animal that we couldn't improve by strapping a bomb to it.