

Adobe: We Love Choice - nexneo
http://log.valhallaisland.com/post/596483252

======
ilike
>The $600 Flash authoring tool is the only way to produce Flash applications.

That statement is wrong. Anyone can create tools that can 'create' and/or
'run' swf files. Adobe itself provides Flex SDK cost free. It is an
opensourced framework.

<http://osflash.org/projects> has a list of opensource tools available to
create flash content.

~~~
nexneo
I'm curious, please provide link to any capable tool.

~~~
ilike
Apart from the links 'geeymb' posted, FlashDevelop is a popular free tool to
create flash content [flashdevelop.org]

Scribd uses 'pdf2swf' from swftools.org to convert pdfs(Not sure if they still
use it. ref: <http://www.swftools.org/references.html> )

Scaleform depends heavily on Flash[scaleform.com]. Ming library is a nice
option to create dynamic swf files on server side[libming.org].

A nice little online editor and compiler can be found here:
<http://www.victordramba.com/?p=31>

Although there are so many nice, robust open source tools built around Flash,
i haven't heard of Adobe actively promoting any of them.

------
BillGoatse
"The $600 Flash authoring tool is the only way to produce Flash applications."

FlashDevelop : Free. OS Flex Compiler : Free.

If you're going to flame, at least know what you're talking about.

~~~
lurch_mojoff
OK, let's be realistic here - this a little bit like saying that since there
is GNUstep and GCC, you don't really need a Mac to develop for the iPhone. The
bulk of Flash content online is developed with Adobe's authoring tools. That's
why they are so protective of Flash.

~~~
BillGoatse
I'm a Flash Developer and, like many other Flash devs, I don't use Adobe's
tools (I use FDT, which isn't free, but isn't Adobe either).

I agree that Flash isn't as open as many people would like, but it is way, way
more open than the iPhone ecosystem.

~~~
tomlin
I second that. I've not used the Adobe IDE for a few years.

lurch_mojoff, please don't claim your personal experience as standard
practice.

Try a search on Google, or read a few blogs about Flash development.

~~~
trun
Thirded. I've used FlashDevelop exclusively for a few years and used MTASC
before that. There's really no need to pay for Adobe's tools to make Flash
content.

------
noelchurchill
Apple probably loves choice as well. They should have the choice to design
their products as they wish. I have the choice to buy Apple's products if I
wish.

If you need flash on your phone, don't buy an iPhone. Choice is great.

~~~
tomlin
I have no problem with Apple excluding Flash from iPhone. Choice is great.

However, I don't care for the mob mentality that is perpetuating false
information in the name of "freedom of web".

------
geeymb
>There’s many HTML rendering engine implementations, the best few are totally
open source with Apple being the major contributor to the best one, WebKit.

Not so many people would agree that Webkit is the best HTML rendering engine
(Gecko, KHTML or Opera, anyone?).

~~~
mansr
Webkit _is_ KHTML.

~~~
Perceval
Webkit _briefly was_ KHTML, but the past 7-8 years of development clearly
distinguished one from the other. Apple sends the changes they've made back to
the KHTML folks, but as I understand it, KHTML hasn't simply adopted all of
Apple's changes lock-stock-and-barrel.

