February 20th, 2008
Adobe vs. Apple: Flash spat over iPhone gets intense
Apple and Adobe–long time partners that propel product cycles for each other–are in a big spat over the iPhone.
The problem: Apple’s iPhone doesn’t support Flash Player. And Adobe is getting more annoyed by the minute, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.
Just as an aside I read this story with “It’s a Small World” playing in my head. Why? Ben Charny, a former reporter of mine at eWeek and colleague at News.com, quotes ZDNet’s own Ryan Stewart. Good times eh?
But I digress. Charny paints the Adobe-Apple spat as evidence that Steve Jobs & Co. often scares partners. I’m not sure I buy that beyond the iPhone.
As Charny notes this spat could be resolved by the end of the month. I’d be shocked if Apple and Adobe didn’t work this Flash spat out. After all, Adobe’s CS3 drives Mac sales and vice versa. These two have a long history that’s unlikely to be derailed over the iPhone.
Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and Editorial Director of ZDNet sister site TechRepublic. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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