HTML5 vs Flash: Who Reigns Supreme ?

Steve Jobs may no longer be here today but he still manages to prove his genius. In his 2010 public release entitled Thoughts on Flash, Jobs boldly stated that the time when we would no longer need the Adobe Flash Player is nearing. And this could actually be true. He pointed out that all of Adobe's Flash products are a hundred percent proprietary. He furthered that Adobe is actually a closed system that although their products are widely available it does not necessarily mean that they are open since all the products they put out are solely controlled by them.

All of Steve Jobs' claims may be true but the fact that Flash remains to be one of the most widely used cannot be denied. There is just another threat posed to the reign of Adobe and it is the HTML5 which is slowly building its reputation. Are we now looking at a new platform leader?

The 5-year Question

It has been five years since HTML5 was first talked about yet the debate as to whether it is capable of challenging Adobe's Flash remain to be a big question amongst web developers. Each of the two platforms has their own pros and cons. Flash has been the major player for more than a decade now and has earned its stellar reputation by supporting videos and millions of games today.

Most web browsers also support Flash. Video sharing sites such as YouTube and social network giant Facebook utilize it for most of their features. Animated games become more engaging and fun to play and videos became easier to load and watch all thanks to Flash. Flash has also played a crucial role in the successful running of sites like Disney New Fantasyland, The Museum of Me and Flash Driving game.

The Brilliance of Flash

Flash has notably exhibited its brilliance with Intel's Museum of Me. The Museum of Me website makes use of information that was gathered and collated from people's Facebook accounts in creating a virtual snapshot of their lives. Fluid Inc., the team behind The Museum of Me transforms videos, status updates and photos into a virtual tour de force of your life.

It is essential to note that the site runs entirely on Flash and this enabled the perfect integration of sound and flawless execution of visual artistry. If you thought that Adobe Flash is only good on your personal computers, you are wrong. If you haven't noticed, there are a lot of mobile applications that are Flash-based, even useful applications such as VoIP are fully built on Flash.

Flash, just like anything else, isn't perfect and it stumbles on some serious points. Firstly, users are required to download and install the Adobe Flash plug-in for new PCs. Secondly, the Flash platform commands high CPU processing power in order to run smoothly. Steve Jobs may have a serious thing against Flash for Apple and its line of gadgets do not support Flash anymore. This has become a disadvantage for Adobe since Apple users will no longer be able to watch videos or play games that are purely Flash-based.

HTML5's future

While everyone's fussing over Apple's inability to support Flash-based videos and applications, HTML5 is like a silent warrior making discreet progress. Managed by the World Wide Web Consortium, which is more popularly known as the WC3, HTML5 is banking on its efficiency.

Although HTML5 only comes in second when it comes to the number of games they support, this platform is depending on its ability to run while using less CPU processing power to attract more users. After all, it is a great energy saver which results in longer battery life. With technology going more and more mobile, having programs that consume less power is the new demand.