Flash vs. HTML5: 7 Facts Is HTML5 on the fast track to completely replacing Adobe Flash? HTML5 is a new set of web standards that adds functionality to the web without causing problems for older browsers. HTML5 lets browsers display audio and video, use CSS3 to animate elements like images and text, reduce site load times, incorporate geolocation and a number of additional enhancements without additional plug-ins like Flash or QuickTime. These updates to HTML and CSS allow developers to build sites that are faster, more powerful, and display correctly on a wide range of devices. Here are 7 facts to consider:
- Flash has been around for too long to be rejected outright considering that businesses have made huge investments in Adobe’s software already.
- 54% of web video is now available for playback in HTML5
- The newly released Internet Explorer 9 supports HTML5. This is an endorsement for the future of HTML5 by Microsoft.
- HTML5 offers amazing support for image galleries and videos and is quickly replacing Flash where limited interactivity is needed. HTML5 is much faster than Flash when it comes to simpler animations.
- Flash may have a slight edge in some applications, especially having video players that offer more features, but that might change as HTML5 is also video friendly.
- Flash has not achieved much when it comes to mobile platforms. Its performance has been poor and resource-utilization too high to allow it to run on most small devices. HTML5 on the other hand uses resources relatively efficiently and is supported by all smartphone operating systems. This allows web developers to create sites that work efficiently on multiple platforms without writing multiple versions of the code.
- SEO has become way more intelligent. New tags in HTML5 help developers better organize content and the amount of code necessary to build into the site is reduced. These things help Google search the site’s content faster, and the website will load faster. This is a major convenience for developers and can tip the scales in favor of HTML5.
As a developer, I agree is it imminent that HTML5 features will eventually replace Flash. Apple has taken a firm stance by not supporting Flash on their portable devices, which means that Flash elements on HTML websites are not viewable on an iPod touch, iPhone, or iPad. Google and Microsoft have also acknowledged that HTML5 is the next step in web development. As HTML5 continues to evolve, they will replace functionality currently implemented in Flash. We know enough about what's coming to prepare for the future. HTML5 provides a set of tools to enhance the web experience. Flash may be pushed into a niche market as a result of failing to provide the same HTML5 interactivity. Whatever happens, the competition will spur innovation and developers and our clients will benefit.
