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HTML5 vs Flash: The Movie

Posted by Zealot on Sep 22, 2010

closeThis post was published 2 years 7 months 25 days ago which may make its actuality or expire date not be valid anymore. This site is not responsible for any misunderstanding.

flashvshtml5Steve Jobs has three main reasons (well, at least three main reasons he talks about) for preferring HTML5 over Flash and therefore banishing Flash from his iOS devices. The first is that Flash creates security problems…and OK, he does have a point there and Adobe has been working hard to try to close all the various exploits and security holes found in Flash but there is a lot of work still to do. The second is that Flash is a resource hog, which for me is often a mixed bag. Some Flash videos play fine on my machine, while others will suck my processor dry and then some, so he may have a point. with this complaint as well.

Steve’s third gripe is  about good old fashioned performance. Jobs says that HTML5 can outperform Flash on a level playing field. Is he correct? Well, Chris Black is a developer debating what standard he wants to write for, HTML5 or Flash, so he created a test and filmed the results. He created two versions of the same animation, one made in Canvas and JavaScript and one created using Flash. He then ran them on a  new iPod Touch (HTML5) and on an Android Nexus One (HTML5 and Flash) and recorded the frame rates. Of course, since a lot has to do with browser performance the test is not strictly scientific, but interesting none the less.

Who won in the head to head performance battle, HTML5 or Flash? Watch the test after the jump.

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Zealot (839 Posts) - Website | Twitter | Facebook


By day a department manager and writer for a major network device vendor...by night Zealot stalks the mean magnetic streets, striking fear into the hearts of bandwidth abusers and theme park mascots. Zealot has been involved with mobile devices for more than a decade now, starting off with dumb phones, moving to PDAs and then to smartphones, notebooks and netbooks with the odd PMP thrown in. Most of his mobile time currently is spent on a Treo Pro, Zune HD, Thinkpad T61, HP Mini 311, iPod Touch 3G, iPad 16G or a Hackintoshed Compaq Mini 704. He proudly groks the Geek community and considers himself a Neo Maxi Zune Dweebie (thanks Wil Wheaton!).

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    • pontios

      Don't you mean iPod Touch (Html5) and on an Android Nexus One (HTML5 and Flash)?

      Unless there is a way to run flash on an ipod.

    • http://twitter.com/renedepaula/status/25199430253 rene de paula jr

      comparativo interessante de html5 e flash no iphone e android http://bit.ly/cGbfcg

    • http://twitter.com/rubemchaves/status/25201036302 Rubem Chaves

      RT @renedepaula: comparativo interessante de html5 e flash no iphone e android http://bit.ly/cGbfcg

    • http://bardhaven.wordpress.com Zealot

      Thanks for catching the typo. I have to remember not to post at 7 in the morning…

    • http://twitter.com/lagrotta/status/25200361489 Marcelo Lagrotta

      Comparativo interessante de html5 e flash no iphone e android http://bit.ly/cGbfcg via @renedepaula

    • http://twitter.com/mobilitysite/status/25201684113 mobilitysite

      HTML5 vs Flash: The Movie | Mobility Site http://bit.ly/cGbfcg

    • http://twitter.com/crealoop/status/25201786692 Vincent Beneche

      RT @mobilitysite : HTML5 vs Flash: The Movie | Mobility Site http://bit.ly/cGbfcg #autoRT

    • http://www.svpocketpc.com Pony99CA

      Ummm, so who won? Some of us can't watch video.

      As for the “three reasons”, I'm not sure that I buy them all.

      First, while Flash does have security issues, why is it assumed that HTML 5 won't? IE and Firefox are regularly getting patched for security issues, so why would the HTML 5 video parts be immune?

      Second, to me, “resource hog” and “performance” are similar issues, so I'll address them both. Is there anything inherent in Flash that would make it use more resources or run slower than an HTML 5 implementation?

      I also thought Jobs had other issues with Flash.

      First, he didn't want another layer for developers to program to. He's claimed that's caused “problems” in the past (although I'm not sure what that means).

      We know from painful experience that letting a third party layer of software come between the platform and the developer ultimately results in sub-standard apps and hinders the enhancement and progress of the platform,

      Finally, he claims that Flash is proprietary and that Apple prefers open standards for the Web. (Same citation)

      Steve

      P.S. I hope that there will be an XHTML equivalent to HTML 5; I'm really not sure why they bothered with HTML 5 instead of a newer XHTML.

    • http://www.svpocketpc.com Pony99CA

      Ummm, so who won? Some of us can't watch video.

      As for the “three reasons”, I'm not sure that I buy them all.

      First, while Flash does have security issues, why is it assumed that HTML 5 won't? IE and Firefox are regularly getting patched for security issues, so why would the HTML 5 video parts be immune?

      Second, to me, “resource hog” and “performance” are similar issues, so I'll address them both. Is there anything inherent in Flash that would make it use more resources or run slower than an HTML 5 implementation?

      I also thought Jobs had other issues with Flash.

      First, he didn't want another layer for developers to program to. He's claimed that's caused “problems” in the past (although I'm not sure what that means).

      We know from painful experience that letting a third party layer of software come between the platform and the developer ultimately results in sub-standard apps and hinders the enhancement and progress of the platform,

      Citation: Reuters

      Finally, he claims that Flash is proprietary and that Apple prefers open standards for the Web. (Same citation)

      Steve

      P.S. I hope that there will be an XHTML equivalent to HTML 5; I'm really not sure why they bothered with HTML 5 instead of a newer XHTML.

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