Oh Yes

Schools can use flash in the following situations, where it isn't a functional part of the website, because that would make the site in accessible, so where it is used to add an animation which sighted kids quite enjoy. Where the functionality using flash flash adds is not an integral part of the website for visitors, so for use in CMS systems for example.

HTML 5 is not going to really be used in schools for 5-10 years, when all IT equipment has HTML 5 compliant browsers; IE isn't released in an HTML 5 compliant version yet. We have a lot of schools still using IE6 and a lot don't have Flash support, and they are unlikely to have their IT equipment upgraded until it starts to fail completely.

The company I work for has AA accessible websites.

I understand your point, but don't forget HTML is designed to degrade gracefully. Web sites built on HTML5 should still function adequately on browsers that support HTML4.

Anyway, in the grand tradition of these forums, we've managed to wander down a side road off the original topic.

Quite some way. I only wished to answer that one point.

Anyway, when is this iPad supposed to be coming out if this was just a paper launch?

At which point, it doesn't seem to matter that the iPad can't display the Flash stuff if it's not really needed...



The Wi-Fi model should be with us 60 days after the announcement. Should be quite good to hear some proper reviews of using the actual device.

Actually, we can't tell client schools' members of staff not to use an iPad to update their school website, but it becomes a bit of a headache for us to explain that iPad's don't have the ability to utilise a fundamental web technology. Also, we will have to deal with support calls regarding big blocked out areas of certain websites, that have flash banners or area of the websites.



Yes, I read earlier that the time frame was the end of March for the WiFi editions and April for the 3G versions.

As it stands at the moment, there are almost as many people who don't give a stuff seemingly and would rather have pie, as there are those who would consider an iPad*

* iPad - I will never be able to say that name without smiling internally

Flash is not a 'fundamental' web technology. HTML is. Flash is an additional gewgaw.
Why are you using Flash to perform webpage updates? Are there not easier ways?
Lastly, I'd imagine most iPad purchasers would be purchasing them as supplemental devices rather replacements, so if they have to use Flash to update the school website they'll do it from their other computer. Panic ye not that the iPad is about to make your site obsolete.

Sorry, I should have used the word ubiquitous not fundamental.

As to using flash to update web pages, we don't, we have JS for that, but we do use it for a teacher friendly upload utility. That is still part of the updating process, however.

We're still going to get the support calls however. We get such calls about iPhones from time to time and the Mac platform is popular with some Local Authorities, to the extent that they won't allow Windows machines access to their networks. We don't have an issue with supporting Safari, but we had some issues with Mac FF 3 when it came out as it had some bugs to do with rendering that FF on other platforms didn't; at the time, these have since been rectified.

And it's over 1000 websites.

You know what, I'm not an Apple hater but I'm far from being a fanboy either (I've admitted to liking the iPad but also pointed out what I consider to be its downfalls as you may have read). My opinion then IMO is not biased one way or another. Just wanted to make that clear

Ok, for what its worth my two pence worth regarding the lack of Flash support is thus; whether Flash is hungry, rubbish, slow, great, glorious or magnificent the fact that there is a serious amount of Flash content out there that Mr and Mrs everday view and use - probably without even knowing what it is - I think Apple are stupid to leave off support for it. I know people get by on their iPhones and the like but I imagine some who buys the iPad will be expecting a 'full' web experience... even if it is just to play bloody Farmville. Apple are simply ignoring a massive amount of content.

If I take the missus as an example (shes not teccy at all). On her Palm Pre even though it has a web browser she doesnt expect to be able to do all the things she can on the laptop. But put an iPad infront of her with a 'proper' browser and whether she knows its Flash or not on a particular site/game she will expect it to work. And why wouldnt she?

I personally dont care about Flash support as if I did get an iPad it would not make a bit of difference to me. I am guessing it might do for a great many others though.

[IMHO]
I think I'm starting to unconfusticate myself with the whole smartphone thing and separate the issues I have with it.

I'm starting to think that the major issue I have with the iPhone and its ilk is less about the phone or the company and more about some of the people I see owning it. I have no objection to people like my mate Steve (who is a 'tronics guru) having one because it really does aid him with his life.

What I've come to realise is that the thing that starts me off about things like this is the way certain types have to have it. You know the type - they buy things they don't need because they want to be seen to have them. They bought iPods, laptops, XBoxes, plasma TVs, new cars, "lifestyle" furniture and houses they couldn't afford.

They don't have a style of their own; they buy from whichever shop is currently favoured by the fashion police with little or no thought to the fact that they look absolutely bloody awful. Women walking down the street in ra-ra skirts or denim cut-offs over black leggings assured of their fashionable status but frantically monitoring the magazines for intimate details of what to buy next. Supposedly grown men walking around with Bench plastered over their chest like some tragic beige animatronic hoarding. Primary school age girls running round in bright pink Playboy clothes and young boys from Surrey in Man Utd tops demanding the latest this or that, desperately trying to stave off the incessant peer pressure and bullying that comes from not following the flock.

I have a relative who is in serious amounts of debt. For Xmas he bought his wife an iPhone. Last week he got himself one as well - "Well it was free with the contract".

Now she's demanding a new laptop because her 5 year old one apparently isn't fast enough to run Firefox or MS Office. So what are they looking at doing? Reformatting it to get rid of the crap or perhaps a memory upgrade and a battery replacement?

No. She wants a Macbook.

Pro.



I suppose I don't actually object to the iPhone or its rivals and, if I'm horribly honest with myself, I really can see a point to it for certain sections of society. I can see that having some decent computing power on the move can be very useful at times and that Apple have done well with helping idiots be able to use it.

What I really find offensive though, in the end, is that my industry, Electronics Engineering, has yet again sacrificed itself on the altar of short-term consumerism and has prostituted long-term projects for the quick buck, take make and throw away, get rich right now mentality. Did the mobile phone really need such resources diverted to making it easier to use? Wasn't my Nokia 3210 much easier? Can't a human being carry a phone and an MP3 player? All those resources could have been directed for much greater good, such as decent, cheap Voice recognition and desperately needed HIC research, spam eradication and competent replacements for present technologies such as alphanumeric keyboards and mice - perhaps even a global revamp of the net itself.

The soul, vision and passion has gone out of the engineering world and as things stand I can't see it coming back any time soon. I'm an engineer and I love it but I cannot abide the thought of my efforts vanishing into a nexus of greed and corporate arrogance - that's one reason I'm so drawn to voluntary work. We, as a species, can do so much better than we are doing and we're not just coming short, we're starting to lose fundamental parts of our collective humanity. That which has bound us together in the past is starting to unravel and it all makes me feel angry and very, very small.

And it breaks my heart.

It shouldn't be this way.

[/IMHO]

Wow, RB where did that come from? You are a deep thinker.

We should go to the pub one night together and sort out the problems of the world.

Thank you sir

*bows head*

Well, after 14 pages of discussion I seem to have my answer.

NOBODY is impressed by the iPad. Some of us are willing to give it the benefit of the doubt and some hate it from the outset.

I guess that means for us…

a) Nobody wants to read books on a tablet machine (or we love the Kindle more)

b) Nobody wants to game on a mid sized handheld screen. (or perhaps we are loyal to the devices we own now)

c) Nobody wants Email and browsing on the move on a device that weighs half what an equivalent netbook weighs.

d) Maybe the 10 hour battery life is too short to be useful.

e) Maybe we can't afford the £310 asking price. (though that does not include VAT and British rip of markup)


I suspect I will get one but time will tell.

CC

I certainly won't be buying this generation.

Perhaps one of the future generations will tempt me.