“If you have been around these parts long enough, you probably already know about Apple’s aversion to Adobe’s Flash Player plugin. Ex-CEO Steve Jobs has gone on record to say that it is a ‘dying technology’ and the company actively prevents Flash in any form from appearing on its iOS-based devices,” Aayush Arya reports for TNW.
“In Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, the latest release of Apple’s desktop operating system, the company removed the Flash Player plugin from its privileged position of being a part of the default OS,” Arya reports. “If you visit a website like YouTube using Safari on a brand new installation of Lion, it will warn you to ‘upgrade your Adobe Flash Player to watch this video.'”
Advertisement: Limited Time: Students, Parents and Faculty save up to $200 on a new Mac.
Arya reports, “Should you, though? The answer depends on how often you intend to use the plugin and how resource-constricted, particularly in the CPU department, your Mac is. Here’s a look at three ways to block, or reduce, Flash usage on your Mac while still being able to take advantage of its perks.”
• Leave it uninstalled
• Use it on an as-required basis
• Block it whenever you feel like it
Much more in the full article here.
Hmm, isn’t there a 3rd party beta plugin to convert Flash to HTML5? Actually called FlashToHTML5?
If you feel the need, bookmark http://www.youtube.com/html5
join, search for the video you want, enjoy it. When done, just reset your browser to get rid of the google powered cookies and craps. Firefox has some decent privacy oriented add-ons that are handy.
For safari there is a plugin that forces YouTube to play the html5 version always instead of flash.
Forget the name though.
I install flash but use clicktoflash/flashblock etc. And the safari addon I mentioned.
And since the last update, lion doesn’t freeze with flash anymore!
The article writer doesn’t seem to be aware of the fact that, in Safari, ClickToPlugin (basically a superset of ClickToFlash) works just fine even if you don’t have Flash installed. This is what I use for internet video.
Also, another handy trick is to activate the “Developer” menu in Safari, and have your browser declare itself to be an iPad instead. (You’d be amazed how many sites tell your Mac’s browser that you have to install the cruddy Adobe Flash Player, yet will happily serve up H.264 HTML5 video to the exact same browser posing as an iPad.)
@FTB:
– There is a Safari Extension called YouTube5 that forces YouTube, Vimeo and Facebook videos to as HTML5 video.
– There is also the good old ClickToFlash Safari extension (kin to ClickToPlugin) that stops Flash dead until you decide to run it.
– The TED HTML5 Video Player Safari extension forces all TED conference website videos to play as HTML5.
– Safari Cookies allows you to delete all unwanted Flash cookies as well as set up a white list for those you want.
Firefox provides a slew of add-ons to keep Flash crap under control, such as:
– BetterPrivacy
– Flashblock
– NoScript (Highly recommended in any case)
I was thinking, if “don’t install it” is one of the options, this isn’t much help…
Actually, depending on your website needs, it *is* actually possible to go Flash-free.
To help plug the gap, I use ClickToPlugin for Safari to watch internet video – it works just fine even if Flash isn’t installed, and substantially reduces one of the main reasons for Flash use. (You’d be surprised just how many video sites have the technical capability to deliver HTML5 H.264 video to your browser, but choose to serve up the cruddy Flash player anyway.)
Apple’s own “DirectoryService” process chews up my CPU.
Anyone have any thoughts on how to fix that?
Did a quick web search, and found this solution:
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20100713190059936
Thanks!
I use Flash on my iMac and no problem here.
Flash needs to become an obscure plug-in that your browser will load only when you use an obscure web-site with a complex online interactive application that cannot be developed using any other currently available technology. At present, I would venture a guess that 95% of Flash content today could be completely replicated using non-Flash solutions (CSS, ordinary HTML, AJAX tools, etc). Out of that 95%, vast majority is likely in the form of online interactive video playback applets. For none of this content is Flash necessary, nor optimal as a solution.
Then there is this interactive Flash content that would simply be either impossible or too difficult to deliver without Flash. Sites such as PlayhouseDisney, PBSKids, NickJR, MoshiMonster, ClubPenguin and similar children’s online games come to mind. While these have rather large audiences, they still represent a fairly small percentage of Flash content out there that can’t be recreated without Flash.
Large online content players have already begun their move away form Flash over a year ago. While a year may be an eternity in the field of technology advancements, in the area of corporate business, it is barely a blip, as corporations tend to move at a glacial pace. And yet, so many of them have so quickly made this move away from Flash, clearly recognising the power of iOS and its intelligent and affluent customer base. THis trend will surely continue at even faster pace, until Flash content remains that niche area where absolutely no amount of creativity can replicate the functionality without using Flash. That is exactly where Flash belongs — esoteric, niche market corners.
Unfortunately, Flash is used by large broadcasters in UK for streaming content. I am sure it’s used by other broadcasters throughout the world. It works for their copyright control and who can blame them. There may be alternatives, but that won’t make them change overnight. I like watching iPlayer or 4oD or whatever. So in this way, Apple is being arrogant and attempting to alienate a % of their users. It pisses me off that one company can attempt to sideline one technology…for what?
For a very, very good reason. Flash is actually NOT necessary in order to deliver the content your UK streaming providers are delivering. Even for DRM delivery, there are now alternative options.
It is not Apple that is alienating users; it is content owners who refuse to deliver their content to the affluent, intelligent and educated users that iOS brings to the market. Users are not going to abandon their expensive devices, just so that they can get to some Flash content somewhere. If they can’t get their content because it is encumbered by Flash, they’ll simply seek content elsewhere. That’s how free and open markets work.
They’re using copyright control a five year old computer n00b can circumvent. Also the BBC was still using real media up until a few years ago.
It’s done because of incompetence and corruption. The BBC is a Microsoft sponsored organisation – funded with ‘contributions’ out of steve ballmers PR budget.
Don’t forget that use of AdBlock will pretty much prevent any Flash-based advertising from loading.
——RM
How about surf on your iPad?
I find that on YouTube the flash version of videos loads 2 to 3 times faster than the H264 version. In fact, the H264 version often stalls completely half way through loading. And playing either format sends my CPU usage soaring. So I’ve actually gone back to flash for YouTube. Unfortunately.
@Predrag
It IS Apple that is alientating users. You have to be kidding me. Flash is ubiquitous on the net. When Job’s dropped Flash, he absolutely did a disfavor to the vast majority of Apple customers. So many of the complaints on this forum center on the use of Flash on ad sites. But, Flash is used in a ton of different ways on websites to present data and information from charts to presentations and more. To simply eliminate it and say that HTML5 is going to pick up the slack is ridiculous. There are literally millions of websites(tens of million Net users) that use Flash. To make the assumption that the masses do not want Flash is a bit presumptuous and to lay the burden of changing millions of websites from Flash to HTML5 on the backs of the web owners (like me!) is ludicrous.
I am not sure what is at the core issue of the people who claim to have problems with Flash. I have never had a crash from Flash on any desktop Mac or MBP. To be fair, I only have maybe 1-2 crashes of any type in a given year. So, if you are having crashes, there is some sort of conflict with a program, plugin, etc. that is not likely Flash related.
Jobs actually did a favor to all iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad users by blacklisting Flash. PLEASE go watch Flash play on any of the alternative devices. As I have frequently stated: Flash runs on these devices like a one-legged dog. Every time I see the ads touting that some wannabe device runs Flash, I go into a fit of laughter because I KNOW how poorly Flash plays.
Flash is a CPU hog.
Because of Jobs’ work, the Internet has busily been moving away from Flash such that anyone still pushing it on their website will be considered antiquated within the next two years. HTML5 is here and web developers are dumping Flash in its favor. Thank you Steve Jobs and the HTML5 standard.
One thing Adobe HAS successfully done, in most cases, is stop Flash crap from continuing to eat CPUs once a Flash video has finished playing. That was NOT the case last year.
I have also had a lot fewer Flash crashes recently.
The two things Adobe will NEVER solve:
Flash is a CPU hog.
Flash is the single LEAST secure third party technology for Mac. Flash continues to have a HORRIBLE security reputation, despite over a full year of almost monthly updates from Adobe. For the sake of computer security alone, Flash is well worth either controlling or dumping.
Mac-Security Blog
Controlling Flash I agree with. How about giving the user the option to turn it on/off on their ipad/iphone. I have several of both and woud prefer this option. Granted, I may turn it off 90% of the time. But, when I need it to view something and am not able to get to one of my desktops, I would be able to view the item.
The security issue is a bit misleading. Flash is by far the leading 3rd party technology on the Mac. 98% of all Macs have it enabled. Again, my experience with daily 12 hours or more activity on the net does not match up with any sort of crashing problem with Flash. A quick poll of our employees does not indicate any sort of problem…not even slightly. Our Macs are solid and we have very few crashes in a year. The software we use is pretty much normal software from MS, Adobe, Apple, etc. We use a variety of 3rd party productivity tools. But, no crashes to speak of. You may want to look at other areas of your operations or configurations. I see huge system slowdowns with other software like Time Machine and video conversion software with frequent crashes from the latter.
Hi @macassarus. It’s nice to have a normal conversation here for a change.
“How about giving the user the option to turn it on/off on their ipad/iphone.”
I think that’s fine. But I’m a techno geek and am used to what are likely to be the consequences. I snuck Flash on to my Apple TV gen I and use it. But what Apple are avoiding, from at least my point of view, is hoards of complaining users who would have a bad time specifically because of Flash on iDevices. You’ll note that Apple never provide Flash with Mac OS X these days. That is, I know, because Apple refuse to provide any Flash technical support. Adobe can live with the consequences of their own dog food. I have to assume the idea of blacklisting Flash on iDevices is for a similar purpose.
“The security issue is a bit misleading.”
How? You didn’t finish the thought. I’m a security researcher and commentator. I am no expert. I often defer to Dr. Charlie Miller, a renowned hacker and one of several heralded experts on Mac computer security. He has specifically stated that in order to maximize web browser security:
“The main thing is not to install Flash!”
Pwn2Own 2010: interview with Charlie Miller
I have covered Flash security problems ad nauseam at my Mac-Security Blog. They continue unabated at this time.
As for the Flash-crash problem, Adobe significantly solved that problem this past year. Flash-crashing is usually unrelated to Flash security, with the exception of buffer overflow problems that can crash Flash as well as allow a hacker access to a computer’s operating system by use of code injection and execution inside the overflow memory. IOW: Memory management code in Flash can cause both crashing and hacking problems. The reduction in Flash-crashing is related to Adobe getting a good handle on their bad memory management code.
@ Derek
I respect your security knowledge with Flash. Here are my issues:
1. Without question, Apple left their customers with the inability to view a large number of web pages on the internet. You may think this is great. But, I run into blank sections of a webpage daily on my iOS devices. With over 100 million websites in the US and about half of them using Flash, that leaves a pretty large hole in the web. There are a lot of positive things to say about iOS. Having an internet device without Flash is not one of them.
2. On the number of crashes purportedly caused by Flash, with high daily usage, I do not see them. When I have a system crash, it is usually from MS Office, a non-Flash issue with Firefox or some other program. Thus, my advise to those with crash issues: look at other sources.
3. Flash does use a lot of CPU cycles. But, the usage is momentary and imperceptible. To the average browser, they do not even know if the page has Flash or not. So, to a techie, Flash is a CPU hog. To the average user, it brings the net to life with both video and audio. It provides a moving presentation of text, audio and graphics.
Without Flash, the past years would have been much more boring on the net. Going forward, maybe there will be a solid successor. For now, not so much. Getting there? Maybe. But, not quite there. Until then, Apple has left there iOS users without the ability to view Flash enabled sites which are vast in number.