There are over two million developers using Adobe Flash, and soon they will be able to convert their applications into iPhone apps automatically. Adobe is adding "Packager for iPhone" to its Flash developer tools.
Included in Flash Professional CS5 (Creative Suite 5), the software is currently in private beta testing. The iPhone does not support Flash, however ActionScript 3 projects will run as native iPhone apps after conversion.
How long have we been hearing about Flash coming to MobileSafari? Why is Flash installed on 98% of desktops and 800 million mobile devices, yet not one is an iPhone? Apparently it has been in development since June 2008. Apple was unhappy with the limited old Flash Lite, and the full version would suck up too many resources on the already battery-strapped iPhone.
We were expecting a release in September 2008, however somebody must have decided that version of the iPhone Flash wasn't good enough for release. Adobe's CEO, Shantanu Narayen said, "The onus is on us to deliver." What was billed as a collaboration between Apple and Adobe now sounds like an Adobe responsibility. Necessity is the word that comes to mind if you're an iPhone user.
