There are always battles between emerging and existing technologies, with one of them being between Adobe Flash Player and HTML5. Let’s explore both options in order to understand what each offers and of course which one emerges as the winner.
Overview
Adobe Flash player has been around for a long time. It users some kind of containers in order to store interactive content which is then rendered in browsers with the use of a plugin. Flash content is platform-independent because the content does not change whether you are using flash-based website on your smartphone or on your PC. The content will basically look the same.
As for HTML5, it makes use of a totally different approach. It uses pure code in order to generate any interactive content, which means that the elements are not in any way pre-made then stored. Instead, the elements have coding for their characteristics and have the user’s browser render actual content as soon as the page loads. This makes a page supported by HTML5 behave and look differently-especially when you access them from various browsers.
Development
Adobe Flash player takes the upper hand when it comes to creation of the actual content. This is because of its longevity, something that translates into a larger community as well as a bigger resource pool in exchanging ideas. On the other hand, HTML5 still has its capabilities limited because its prone to change, even with the increasing number of adopters.
Deployment
Deployment of Flash content is very easy compared to that of HTML5. One just needs to upload the containers right to the server, use the correct code into the site, and hope users have Flash player installed in their devices or PCs. For the fact that Flash content only works depending on variables which even designers don’t have power to control, many people find difficulties using it, more so if they don’t have the latest version of the
Player installed.
It’s a different approach for HTML5. You just need to upload the files to the server, create a code, and it’s put together by the browser being used. You will not need external plugins, but in some cases older browsers fail to render it correctly or at all.
Usability and Performance
The amount of processing power that’s needed by a browser in rendering Flash content is considerably higher than that of HTML5-based page. This makes one of the strong points of HTML5, considering that many people today use tablets and smartphones to browse the internet. Most of these devices have limited performance, which means that those with extremely low processing power will not use Adobe Flash Player as better as they could use HTML5.
Verdict
Some people say that Adobe Flash Player is best while some prefer using HTML5 to browse the internet. Both technologies offer several similarities but one is better than the other, depending on the device you are using. The most notable difference is one to do with processing power of devices and their ability to support various browsers. For consumers using PCs to browse the internet, Adobe Flash Player would suffice, whereas for those using smartphones and tablets HTML5 would be great.
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