[Robert Watcher]

My friend Richard made me aware of the fact that Apple IPhone and ITouch devices do not display flash applications - and that other than a very extensive hack (which won't help those viewing your website who don't have the hack) there is no way to download Flash to either of these devices.

What this means is that all photographers who are intent on having Flash based website applications, are being invisible to the growing number who use these Popular devices to scour and search the web. I find with my own friends and children who use them, that a larger and larger percentage of their web viewing is happening away from their computer while they are texting and multitasking at other daily activities and on the road traveling or having fun. As it currently stands - there are no Flash Applications including popular website templates and slideshow galleries, that will display on an IPhone or ITouch.

Another good case for using HTML websites with almost equally as cool Java Library components and limited flash components on secondary pages where a road block isn't placed in the way of viewing when the website is opened.

---

While I am not going to go into any details as to why there is this Flash Issue with Apple devices - suffice it to say that from what I have been reading, it may or may not be a situation of Apple not wanting to put Flash (which is owned by competitor Adobe) on their devices. However there has been talk going back a year or two that Flash will be made available - and it still has not happened - - - not even with the newly released ITouch as far as I can tell.

From what I have been reading, it does appear that it may be outside forces causing the problem. Some have followed the reasoning that there isn't enough horsepower to run Flash. Here was one interesting suggestion about that and suggestion that it may be protectionism on another level (kind of like the recording industry):

"From what we know from our source, who we believe is reliable, Flash is already running on iPhones internally in Apple’s lab, and has been for a long time. The issue lies in the iPhone’s use of Apple’s own PDF renderer. Adobe would naturally prefer it if Apple would use the Adobe PDF renderer. To be clear, there is certainly enough CPU horsepower on the iPhone to run Flash. If the Chumby - which has half the CPU horsepower - can run Flash8/AS2, then it isn’t a stretch that a more feature-rich version could run on the iPhone.

We also don’t think it’s about control. Apple wants to sell iPhones. Having a device more capable by running more stuff only makes it more attractive - and sells more devices. Why would Apple possibly want for this not to happen? The only reason we can think of right now is AT&T’s fear of VOIP apps running through Flash."

A more popular point of view is this:

"Don’t hold your breath waiting for the iPhone to support Adobe’s Flash software: Apple’s terms-of-service agreement prohibits it."

"Allowing Flash — which is a development platform of its own — would just be too dangerous for Apple, a company that enjoys exerting total dominance over its hardware and the software that runs on it. Flash has evolved from being a mere animation player into a multimedia platform capable of running applications of its own. That means Flash would open a new door for application developers to get their software onto the iPhone: Just code them in Flash and put them on a web page. In so doing, Flash would divert business from the App Store, as well as enable publishers to distribute music, videos and movies that could compete with the iTunes Store."



Who knows! The fact is that it doesn't work right now and these Apple devices are becoming mainstream, ways for people to communicate, do web searches and view webpages.

[Robert Wescott]

Android is figuring it out?

[Robert Watcher]

Robert Wescott, on October 3 2009, 10:18 PM, said:

Android is figuring it out?

Lots are - but people have Apple products - - - and there is no denying the IPhone/ITouch web experience is one of the best.

Major battles going on in this arena - http://blog.tmcnet.c...-apple-tax.html

[davidjay]

These days it's a both/and conversation. With professional website solutions you're able to offer your clients a high fidelity version when they are viewing on the computer (which the mass majority still do) but then also offer them something to view on their iPhone or other mobile device as well.

Keep in mind when they are viewing from these mobile devices they are doing it out of convenience - not experience and again if we check our web stats we'll see that our clients and potential clients aren't surfing their iPhone looking for wedding photograpahers.

[brettmaxwell]

The reason Apple won't allow Flash is simply that they don't want to lose control of apps. If they allowed Flash, all the apps out there could be made into Flash versions and found online rather than through Apple's App Store.

Regardless, I agree with DJ that (1) you can have a site that does Flash for desktop browsers and has an alternate for mobile browsers, and (2) it's not that relevant to wedding photography since people are highly unlikely to be searching for a photographer from a mobile browser.

[Sandra]

Well... if you have a real web designer slash developer for your site - they will know how to make an secondary iphone friendly site which your iphone user will be automatically directed to when your flash site won't load on the device.

CNN - Yahoo - all the big sites have this.

Don't have a real web designer who knows what they are doing - and you are using a template?

Then use this: http://smallfolio.com/

Solution solved.

Sorry but flash is here to stay, and has been around 10+ years now.

[Nick Haskins]

I personally thing the only reason a client would look your site up on their mobile would be to get your contact info.

[brettmaxwell]

Nick Haskins, on October 4 2009, 01:30 PM, said:

I personally thing the only reason a client would look your site up on their mobile would be to get your contact info.

good point. (posted from my iPhone)

[Robert Watcher]

brettmaxwell, on October 4 2009, 02:58 PM, said:

good point. (posted from my iPhone)

Except that you are posting to an iPhone friendly HTML website (except when you are trying to view something like this - http://www.opensourc...howtopic=53300).

As for the other comment - have fun trying to get a Contact page on a non-showing flash website.


BTW - the web experience is so good and so compact, that I now have my iTouch with me wherever I go and when I am traveling. Even if I wanted to - I couldn't view a majority of photographers websites or slideshows because they are Flash based. I'm sure (and know for fact) that I am not alone. Of course I have to admit that I don't really have the patience to sit through any flash based website even on my office workstation. Although I do tend to more readily view Flash apps that are housed in HTML sites if they don't load too slowly.

Listen - I think flash can be beautiful. I'm just stating a fact that many photographers may not realize and that some may care about.

[SamTheMan]

brettmaxwell, on October 4 2009, 12:01 AM, said:

The reason Apple won't allow Flash is simply that they don't want to lose control of apps. If they allowed Flash, all the apps out there could be made into Flash versions and found online rather than through Apple's App Store.

Regardless, I agree with DJ that (1) you can have a site that does Flash for desktop browsers and has an alternate for mobile browsers, and (2) it's not that relevant to wedding photography since people are highly unlikely to be searching for a photographer from a mobile browser.

You know Brett, that's probably true. However, at some point Apple's going to have to change their strategy as more and more competitor phones will be able to view flash content.

[Robert Watcher]

SamTheMan, on October 4 2009, 06:14 PM, said:

You know Brett, that's probably true. However, at some point Apple's going to have to change their strategy as more and more competitor phones will be able to view flash content.

That is what I presumed too - and if you do a web search, there are tons of webpages about Apple finally including Flash with these devices. Then check the dates and they are 2007, 2008 - - - and then when we finally get to the two or three articles dated 2009, it appears more than ever that it won't happen for a while - certainly not with the new Adobe release in October that several competitors are adopting. Steve Jobs says NO. I found this August 2009 page interesting:

http://blog.tmcnet.c...-apple-tax.html


We'll see what eventually happens.
-----

[SamTheMan]

I have a friend who took a different approach and has both a regular Flash website and a cell phone friendly site. I thought that was very creative. Check it out:

http://melissadiep.com/

[Jeann1eGuz1s]

Robert Watcher, on October 4 2009, 02:38 PM, said:

Except that you are posting to an iPhone friendly HTML website (except when you are trying to view something like this - http://www.opensourc...howtopic=53300).

As for the other comment - have fun trying to get a Contact page on a non-showing flash website.


BTW - the web experience is so good and so compact, that I now have my iTouch with me wherever I go and when I am traveling. Even if I wanted to - I couldn't view a majority of photographers websites or slideshows because they are Flash based. I'm sure (and know for fact) that I am not alone. Of course I have to admit that I don't really have the patience to sit through any flash based website even on my office workstation. Although I do tend to more readily view Flash apps that are housed in HTML sites if they don't load too slowly.

Listen - I think flash can be beautiful. I'm just stating a fact that many photographers may not realize and that some may care about.

I agree with you. The fact is that using Flash (or not using it) has always been a web usability issue, regardless of the invention of iPhones. The more barriers you put up to prevent people from accessing and using a site, whether it be needing to download extra applications or decreasing speed or increasing annoyances, the less they will look at it.

[JenStewartPhotography]

My experience is that clients have actually commented on our flash site saying that it was so professional, interesting and different than some of the other sites they've seen. When talking further, they often time were referring to HTML sites. So often (not always, but a majority of the time) HTML sites date you. So many of our clients (seniors, moms, and brides) view the HTML sites as home made early 90's looking sites.

Now I realize that a lot of that has to do with our target market, but in the market of women we are targeting, I would say that the visual nature of the site says a lot to them about your style, and work.

Now of course that's not the determining factor in their hiring us, but it's helped several times!

We are in the process of launching a new site (yes flash based) and can't wait to get everything done so that all of our sites are cohesive with the same style across the board.

We also plan to have the smallfolio site as well so that those that want to share with their friends our site when they are out can do so, or like Brett mentioned above to get our contact info. (though that's on the splash page that doesn't need flash to view)

But like someone mentioned above, when viewing our stats, talking to potential, and current clients about their web experience, very few are doing their decision making through their phones. They may do a bit of browsing, or like I said, sharing with their friends, on their phone, but they aren't hunting for their wedding or portrait photographer on their phone.