I'm interested in developing applications on the iPhone and being a .NET & ActionScript developer I'm a bit scared from the learning curve of Objective-C Cocoa Touch programming. I know that Adobe has Flash player ready for iPhone and I think that Apple doesn't want it just for political reason. Is there any easy alternative to build applications that access the internal GPS, phone etc. without using Objective-C and Cocoa Touch?
+1
A:
IIRC Steve Jobs said there is no flash support for the iPhone, because flash is too slow..
On the other hand the iPhone browser uses WebKit, so for a web app you could probably just use javascript with the canvas object..
Nils
2008-12-13 14:56:41
A:
I've heard that Apple doesn't include flash for the iPhone because it is a platform that people can use to compete against current apps. Why would they support an open free platform that would compete against their app store in which they make plenty of money on?
Flash would make the iPhone apps nearly obsolete.
Erik Elkins
2008-12-13 15:55:07
Just like it made all forms of apps on the desktop obsolete? Uh...
Jim Puls
2008-12-14 01:30:13
+1
A:
Iphone macosx kernel doesn't allow jit compilation, so nothing like java, .net, flash or silverlight can work.
Also, all software goes through apple store, and must not copy functionality of standard application that are build in iphone/itouch. Thats by ULA or something like it. With JIT compilation, everybody could just download and use flash/silverlight application, which could, in the end, replace build-in apps and prevent Apple from controlling sw market for iphone/itouch.
Hrvoje
2008-12-13 18:34:54
+2
A:
I think the short answer is no one knows. Steve Jobs has said many things in the past that he's gone back on (Movies in iTunes, video on the iPod just to name two). My personal opinion is that if you're proficient at any C-style language, Objective-C won't have as steep of a learning curve as you think. Moreover, I think it's in any programmer's best interest to learn new languages and environments.
Andy Bourassa
2008-12-13 18:43:39
+4
A:
Currently there is no other way. As a long time Apple Fanboy I've learnt one thing time and time again "It's Steve's way or the highway". If Steve says no Flash then you can bet your sweet little bippy that there will be no Flash. So either develop a web app, or learn Objective-C. I'm a JAVA head and I learnt all I needed to know in about a month, in my spare time, so it's not as bad as it first seems.
rustyshelf
2008-12-14 00:20:30
A:
Flash is a proprietary runtime. Why would apple want this on their device?
Not to mention the fact that Flash developers routinely hog CPU cycles on the web. Ever have your fan spin up while on a web page with heavy flash objects hogging your cpu?
I don't see Apple ever supporting Flash and I am glad they won't. The web is open standards, and Flash is owned by one company.
Genericrich
2008-12-14 03:37:02
Why the negative feedback? Nothing I said was untrue.Flash people may not like it, but it is true. The web is HTML, CSS, Javascript and HTTP. Not Flash or any other proprietary runtime.I am glad Flash won't come to the iPhone. I haven't missed it yet.
Genericrich
2008-12-15 01:57:58
I didn't down vote you, but my guess is because you didn't answer the question. I 100% agree with what you said, I hate flash too, but the OP asked about can it be done, not why.
rustyshelf
2008-12-17 06:38:28
A:
Last month I read this blog-article about an "open source clone" of silverlight coming to Iphone. I'm very curious about this
http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/03/14/novell-to-bring-open-source-silverlight-clone-to-iphone/
Steav
2010-04-19 18:54:48