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Comparison of HTML5 and Flash

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HTML5 can be used as an alternative to Adobe Flash.[1] Both include features and functions for adding animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. There has been a great deal of discussion[citation needed] amongst web developers and others over the relative merits of both.

Comparison

Current availability

Flash has been in existence since 1996 and, because of this, has a strong base of developers and consumers. According to Adobe statistics, Flash had reached 98% penetration in March 2010.[2]

Currently, HTML5 is not supported universally or fully by all browsers and there are not many websites putting its available features to use.[citation needed] For example, Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser, which had a 57% market share as of December, 2010,[3] does not support "HTML 5" outside of version 9 (which is still unreleased as of January, 2011, and doesn't run inside Windows XP). HTML 5 is in draft state at the time of writing and the standard itself contains many "bugs."[improper synthesis?][4] In fact, HTML 5 will probably not be ready until at least 2022.[5], [6]

Flash is not available on some platforms including Apple's iOS devices—iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.[7] Apple have been promoting HTML5 as an alternative to Flash for video and other content.

Website adoption

Many video sites—including YouTube, Vimeo and blip.tv—have implemented a degree of experimental support for HTML5 video.[8]

Performance

See also: Performance of Adobe Flash

Some users—especially those on Mac OS X and Linux—have complained about the relatively high CPU usage of Flash for video playback.[9][unreliable source?] This was partially due to the fact that the Flash plugin did not use the GPU to render video. Adobe has respond to some of those criticisms in the 10.1 and 10.2 releases of the Flash plugin by offloading H.264 video decoding to dedicated hardware and by introducing a new video API called Stage Video.[10] Another reason for poor Flash performance is that some Flash developers incorrectly code their Flash files, which can be a problem with "HTML 5" animations, as well.[11]

Functionality

Unlike HTML and CSS, Flash has the ability to specify measurements in sub-pixel increments, allowing Flash sites to usually look better than those constructed with HTML and CSS. When confronted with CSS and HTML measurements on a sub-pixel scale, web browsers will round either up or down, depending on the browser, which leads to inconsistency and unreliability in the display of those pages.[12]

Some have said that the tools used to construct Flash web sites are both easier to use and more powerful than those used to construct sites in HTML.[13]

Other features of the Flash Platform that HTML-based technologies lack are webcam support and official DRM support.

Apple

As of April 2010 Apple did not support Flash on the iPhone, iPad, or iPod, having adopted HTML5 instead.[8][14] Steve Jobs noted that Flash is not an open standard – it is controlled by Adobe – whereas HTML5 is controlled by a committee made up of three companies, one of them being Apple.[14]

In September 2010, Apple eased its restrictions by allowing deployment of Flash applications on iOS using Adobe Packager.[15] According to Adobe Labs, Adobe Packager “offers Flash developers a fast and efficient method to reuse existing code from ActionScript 3 projects to deliver native applications on iOS devices”.[This quote needs a citation]

See also

References

  1. ^ Bilton, Nick (June 30, 2010). "Amazon to Introduce Web-Based Book Previews". Bits. The New York Times. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
  2. ^ Shankland, Stephen (February 3, 2010). "HTML vs. Flash: Can a turf war be avoided?". CNET News. Retrieved December 26, 2010. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ "Top Browser Share Trend," <http://www.netmarketshare.com/browser-market-share.aspx?qprid=1> [Retrieved January 5, 2011]
  4. ^ "Bug/Issue Tracking Service." W3C. 11 Dec 2010. Web. 10 Dec 2010. http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/buglist.cgi?query_format=advanced&short_desc_type=allwordssubstr&short_desc=&product=HTML+WG&long_desc_type=allwordssubstr&long_desc=&bug_file_loc_type=allwordssubstr&bug_file_loc=&status_whiteboard_type=allwordssubstr&status_whiteboard=&keywords_type=allwords&keywords=&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&emailassigned_to1=1&emailtype1=exact&email1=ian%40hixie.ch&emailtype2=substring&email2=&bugidtype=include&bug_id=&votes=&chfieldfrom=&chfieldto=Now&chfieldvalue=&cmdtype=doit&order=Reuse+same+sort+as+last+time&field0-0-0=noop&type0-0-0=noop&value0-0-0=
  5. ^ <http://ishtml5readyyet.com/>
  6. ^ James, Justin. "HTML 5 Editor Ian Hickson discusses features, pain points, adoption rate, and more," <http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/programming-and-development/?p=718>
  7. ^ Kingsley-Hughes, Adrian (2010-05-28). "Why there's no Flash on the iPhone/iPad (and why there shouldn't be Flash on Android)". ZDNet Hardware 2.0 blog. Retrieved 2010-12-27.
  8. ^ a b Bilton, Nick (January 31, 2010). "IPad Can't Play Flash Video, but It May Not Matter". The New York Times. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  9. ^ "Flash - CPU Usage - FPS - Frame Rate." Online posting. 10 Dec 2008. Reader discussions, Adobe Support Forums. 10 Dec 2010. http://forums.adobe.com/thread/230334
  10. ^ "Adobe Releases Flash 10.2 Beta, Reduces CPU Usage During Video Playback". Lifehacker. 2010-12-01. Retrieved 2010-12-27.
  11. ^ Skinner, Grant. "Quick as a Flash" <http://2010.max.adobe.com/schedule/by-session/quick-as-a-flash/471c495b-7ddf-4c0c-936b-609916f11e85>
  12. ^ Wayner, Peter. "HTML5 vs. Flash: The case for Flash," Infoworld, <http://www.infoworld.com/d/developer-world/html5-vs-flash-the-case-flash-721?page=0,1> [Retrieved January 5, 2011]
  13. ^ Ibid.
  14. ^ a b Jobs, Steve (April 2010). "Thoughts on Flash". Apple Inc. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
  15. ^ Sorrel, Charlie. "Apple Eases App Development Rules, Adobe Surges." Wired. Wired, 2010. Web. 12 Sept. 2010.
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