EU Could Force Apple to Put Flash on iPad, iPhone

More BS.

They were wrong when they forced MS to include other browsers, they are wrong here to force Apple to include flash.

What the EU is doing is delaying technical progress.

oh, sweet justice...

The Automotive and Oil companies are using their dominance to squeeze out the used-cooking-oil producers. Solution: Require all gasoline vehicles to also run on bio-diesel!

Nanny government. If I were at the helm of Apple I would just leave Europe because it's obviously run by a bunch of day care sitters saying "now Apple... you can't have that good syncing system as an advantage... that's not fair"

I so disagree with the EU. What happened to making Flash stable enough to run on the iPad and iPhone? Where is Apple's right to decline subpar products on their products? If Adobe wants Flash on iPhones and iPads so bad.... make it better!

where is the browser ballot screen for osx?

To add to this, who here thinks its not all about keeping app store games selling? that's why there is no flash.

What's next, Intel and AMD require socket compatibility?

I don't buy Apple stuff but EU is wrong again

If I follow you, we have to remove the iPhone 4 from the market because its a bugged device? we have to stop using all the software in the world because they are bugged?
and where is the problem if flash crash under iOS and not under Windows? maybe Apple make something wrong and they are aware about this weakness which is demonstrated by Flash...
So let the user selecting the product they want in their devices, who are Apple to choose what I need? are you god?

*cough* iphone 4 antenna *cough*

its not about flash being a sub par product. I'll say it slowly so people can understand, JUST BECAUSE STEVE SAYS IT, DOESN'T MAKE IT SO. on the other hand, lots of flash DEVELOPERS are sub par. but then ffs! just look at the quality of most the apps you have to pay for on the phone!! this excuse is BS.


the EU's ideas might be heavy handed. but

"Since not all pervasive technologies are based on standards the benefits of interoperability risk being lost in such areas. The Commission will examine the feasibility of measures that could lead significant market players to license interoperability information while at the same time promoting innovation and competition."

is EXACTLY right! and why I get so enraged when Apple people brag about how into 'innovation' and 'standards' they are.
besides it only sounds stupid because of the way it was said, it sounds like they will be forcing apple to go around and implement a flash player them selves, and make itunes compatible with every mp3 player on the market. thats a bit much... all they need to do is force Apple to ALLOW someone to make flash player for these things, force them to ALLOW mp3 player makers to make their stuff work with itunes. Apple doesn't have to do anything then, they just have to STOP being wankers!

"force them to put flash on the iphone" no... but force them to ALLOW apps developed using the Adobe flash -> iphone app functionality, the clause put in there specifically to block this is COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE! it would not only apply to flash, but also things like unity as well.

"force them to make itunes sync with other devices" again, no, that makes it sound like it is Apple's responsibility to make it so every mp3 player is compatible. again it should be "force Apple to NOT go out of their way to BLOCK competitors from syncing with itunes" as was the case with Palm, where they went to such extreme lengths as to break the USB standard (oh yes, they are sooo into standards...)

Go EU show apple who's the boss.

I think it's ridiculous that Steve Jobs puts his ego ahead of compatibility. I hate Flash too, don't get my wrong, but that's no reason to have your products not run the majority of websites properly. It's not websites' jobs to make compatible websites for iProducts, but that's exactly what's happening. It's not right.

Hey if it makes my iPhone play Flash I wouldn't mind your "nanny government". Sure, pushing Microsoft to force people to choose their browser because they were too technologically ignorant to find their own favorite browser was a little much, but it does promote fair competition. The thing is, Apple can't just leave Europe, if they did that would be disastrous. And besides, Apple's iTunes is a terrible syncing system, just look at how many other syncing tools are out there.

Excellent! I'm a massive Apple user and I HATE that they don't allow Flash on the iPhone/iPad. I'm backing the EU on this one.

As for all the haters who don't want flash on their iphone - simple just don't use it!!!

As for forcing Apple to make mp3 players compatible - that's a bit too far.

What authority does the EU have over an American company? This just doesn't make any sense. Sure I hate Apple for not supporting flash and having it on their portable devices but it's their choice, if they choose to lose customers for not having support for flash then that's their choice right?

I LOVE EU

All the EU is trying to do is give consumers the choice to choose. It's called freedom! If you don't want flash then you don't have to put it on your phone. But the choose should be yours to make, not Apple's choice. I am an iPhone user I've had the last 3 iPhones, but because I enjoy Freedom, I've been forced to jailbreak my phones in order to run apps Apple has deemed unworthy, these unapproved apps are great! Without jailbreaking I would never by the iPhone. Apple acts as a dictator, telling the consumer what's best for them and not allowing anything they dissapprove of. Apple doesn't even have a good reason for not allowing certain apps like Google Voice, and other apps the don't like they make up some lame excuse.
I applaud the EU for looking out for the consumer.

Whether Flash is used everywhere or not, forcing inclusion is dumb and a terrible precedent.
If Apple's devices such without Flash than the market will prove they are wrong.

Using this stupid logic all browsers and HTML engines in the past should have been forced to add implementations for all those terrible MS externsions since it was used everywhere too.

if EU forced MS to take out IE and allowed options for other browsers to be installed, then I don't see why they can't force Apple to make iTunes play nice with other music player and put flash on iPhone/iPad/iPod

How is it any different from Microsoft and their broken IE6 browser? IE6 was so closed and proprietary, it deviated from the published HTML standards to an extreme extend. Hundreds of companies developed web apps that now ONLY work in IE6. They don't work in IE7 or IE8 or Firefox. Why? Because IE6 did not adhere to the published standards. Yet there were no fines or legal actions from that disaster. Not yet at least.

Please no, I really don't want Flash on my iPhone. I like my battery life thanks.

What a bunch of morons. Apple isn't locking anyone into anything - they are trying to build successful consumer products. This is very different than the Windows and Office monopoly where there were no real alternatives. There are going to be lots of iPhone and iPad alternatives (Android is already a formidable competitor) and consumers will have choices. The EU makes it sound like Europeans are forced to buy iPhones and iPads!

And exactly how many phones run flash today?

I don't care for apple products, but I also don't care for the EU. I understand they might be trying to "enhace" individual's expierences, but I don't like the idea of forcing people to do anything. Again, one more reason NOT to like the EU.

Amen to THAT! Apple doesn't need to support, maintain, or otherwise have anything to do with flash. They just don't need to block it. Let the OWNERS of their apple products decide what interacts with what and what runs on what.

Standards are good. On the other hand, choosing not to adhere to standards should be a marketing decision.

EU is wrong here.

Except that, you know, the whole point was to enforce competition.

Which results in technical progress.

I know the internet isn't all that happy with Apple, but...

http://www.googlefight.com/index.p [...] d2=suicide

There is more content on the internet about Adobe's problems than there is about suicide. It's that serious.

I'm no fanboy for apple, but where is the justice? So will apple have to support the users that choose to install itunes but have a zune player?

This isn't right!

Consumers have a choice. If they want Flash, buy something else. It's called free market.

How is the government mandating that competing products have the same functionality beneficial for the consumer?

it would be Microsoft's responsibility to support you in this instance, they would be the ones using it as a selling point. Apple would have a big disclaimer saying they only support their devices.

EU is drunk with power. Apple is drunk with power...

This is a bar fight waiting to happen!