30 January 2009

The Problem: Desktop and laptop computers are now being shipped with a sweet new version of Windows Vista - the 64bit version. This upgrade not only speeds up common functions and applications, but will most likely become the standard OS for all future Windows-based computers (until the next big advancement).

So you'd expect large companies to be in the know and to have 64bit versions of their applications ready and waiting for the OS to hit the marketplace.
For the most part I am impressed with the number of apps that either offer a 64bit version or that work even without a specific upgrade for 64bit.

So you can imagine my shock when I started up the speedy 64bit version of Internet Explorer (IE7) and realized that there is no 64bit version of Adobe Flash Player.

Lack of Excellence: Don't worry, I understand that the marketplace is a mine field of copyright issues, patents, sovereign partnerships and other problems that may keep a company from developing the very thing the marketplace is waiting for.

But this seems different. For some reason the Flash Player team appears slow on the uptake. Not just in this situation, but in others as well.

1. Flash support on mobile devices: Flash video streams so well over the Internet. Is there a reason why flash isn't a standard piece of mobile browser technology?
2. Flash support for 64bit IE7: Adobe undoubtedly knew the 64bit version of Windows Vista was coming out. Why wasn't the Flash Player team ready?

Again - I'm sure there are complications and I don't have a good grasp on the development process for Flash Player. But if the technology is available and it can be done I'd definitely ask, "What were they thinking?"