Adobe hasn’t given any signs that it’s close to porting Flash to webOS, Palm said in an AT&T online app development seminar on Thursday. When asked about the multiple delays, a representative said that Palm didn’t ‘know what the hold-up is’ with getting it ready. Adobe itself hasn’t commented on the state of the webOS version or of other platforms.
The absence of updates on the status of Flash for webOS casts some doubt on Adobe’s plans. Officially, devices from all platforms should have mobile Flash 10.1 in the second half of the year, but so far the strongest sign of development has been a beta for Android 2.2 that, due to its nature, can only run on the Nexus One. Adobe is slated to speak at Verizon’s Droid X introduction and may have a finished version of Flash 10.1 ready for the event, but it’s unlikely other platforms will get attention.
Apple’s position as one of the few holdouts on mobile Flash was partly explained by its co-founder Steve Jobs as a matter of needing proof through a timely, polished version of Flash for another mobile OS. Early tests have shown it significantly slowing down browsing even on a fast processor and with large amounts of RAM.
For Palm, the update isn’t yet critical as it reiterated that it will continue to work on new devices. HP’s financial help will involve both new hardware and a major new version of webOS. “You’re going to find the next year very exciting,” the representative said.
Published on June 23, 2010
