Adobe fends off rivals with Flash Player 10
Flash Player 10 was code-named Astro.
(Credit: Adobe Systems)Astro is launched.
On Wednesday, Adobe Systems announced the release of a major update to its Flash technology to endow Web sites with better video, audio, and graphics. The new version 10 was code-named Astro, and it arrived just days after Microsoft released version 2.0 of its rival Silverlight software.
Flash Player 10, a free download also available for Windows and Mac users from Download.com, includes a number of new features:
• Easier-to-use 3D graphics effects.
• Better text handling for more sophisticated layouts combining words and graphics, more refined typography, and better multilingual applications.
• Better sound handling, so that different audio signals can be mixed together--for example, a music sound track with a game's audio effects.
• High-performance visual effects using technology called Pixel Bender that also works with After Effects CS4 and Photoshop CS4.
• Better abilities to tap into hardware acceleration.
• Adaptable video streaming that can adjust to changing network throughput.
Flash Player is a key part of Adobe's push to make Web-based applications more powerful. Adobe's Flex framework can be used to create applications that run on the Flash Player or as standalone computer applications running on AIR, the Adobe Integrated Runtime.
Flash and Silverlight aren't the only ways to make these so-called rich Internet applications, though. Silverlight, which drafts off Microsoft's strong developer base and its .Net programming technology, is a newer competitor. And JavaScript is growing up as a way to build more elaborate interfaces in Web applications. Flash, however, enjoys a very broad adoption, and users upgrade to the newer versions relatively swiftly.
Flash Player 10 also is used within Adobe's Creative Suite 4, a broad range of applications including Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, and Premiere that just began shipping. Because control panels are written with Flash technology, CS4 menus can be extended by third parties more easily, and Adobe plans to release a Configurator by the end of the month that will make it easy to create custom control panels.
Update 11:25 a.m. PDT: One big Pixel Bender fan is online photo editing site Picnik. Flash Player 10 speeds the site and enables "mind-blowing effects." It also means third parties can create effects of their own using the Pixel Bender technology. See some examples below.
"Future plans with Flash Player 10 include the addition of super high‐resolution photo capabilities, more sophisticated editing features, and the ability to load and save photos without involving an upload to a server," Picnik said Wednesday.
One special effect enabled by Flash Player 10 on Picnik's online photo editing site.
(Credit: Picnik)
Another Flash Player 10 effect in Picnik.
(Credit: Picnik)
Stephen Shankland covers Google, Yahoo, search, online advertising, portals, digital photography, and related subjects. He joined CNET News in 1998 and since then also has covered servers, supercomputing, open-source software, and science. E-mail Stephen.
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Look at the fallout when Firefox 3 didn't pass the ACID3 tests.
C'mon Adobe, this is 2008. Get it together.
Now, that said, I do think everything should be migrating to 64-bit libraries.... it just makes EVERYTHING faster, judging by my families new 64-bit Gateway P7811FX.
I think it's reasonable to assume that 64-bit O/S users would use and prefer a 64-bit browser. Admittedly those users are currently in the minority, but they will inevitably become the majority over time. Adobe needs to get on top of this by having a native 64-bit version of the player instead of dragging their feet.
I'm not really getting on your case, but since 64-bit system are only becoming the dominant system this year..... you can't really expect Adobe to drop everything and go 64-bit only, which is the only way they would be able to get a plugin out for a 64-bit browser in less than a year.
That is the main reason why games like Crysis, Dead Space, etc. are all 32-bit: it takes a lot of knowhow that companies don't have yet to get something to work well natively in a 64-bit system running as 64-bit itself.
Sometimes it's better to design a new car instead of trying to build your own competing interstate highway system. Silverlight seems like a fruitless distraction for a company that has good potential but is trying to juggle way too much and results in too many not-ready-for-primetime efforts.
You aren't a very convincing MS fanboy :) because if you were (or even if you were an impartial observer) you would have given Silverlight a try by now -- and realized how completely superior it is to Flash.
Here's a simple summary of it's advantages:
- It's super-lightweight (I cannot stress this enough).
- It's a lot more secure than Flash
- It's *extremely* easy to develop for -- there's simply no comparison between WPF and Actionscript.
- You can use whatever language you want -- you're not limited to a Javascript variant (Actionsctipt).
- Unlike Adobe, MS is actually collaborating with the Linux folks to create Moonlight (Silverlight implementation on Linux) -- so you won't have to wait years for updated/semi-functional Linux plugins like you do with Flash.
- Silverlight plugins are already available for IE, Safari, Firefox/Mozilla, and coming to Windows Mobile, Symbian, etc.
Silverlight is ready for primetime and then some. It's vastly superior to any competing technology out there.
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by yacahuma
October 18, 2008 12:44 PM PDT
- The only flash interesting stuff is flash video. The restis pure junk. I dont visit flash based sites. They are slow and annoying.
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