Apple’s not the only major tech company that dislikes Flash. Microsoft is joining the anti-Flash bandwagon with the new “Metro” version of Internet Explorer, CNET reports.
Coming on the heels of the company’s announcement of Windows 8, which is scheduled to ship next year, this version of Internet Explorer 10 will banish Adobe’s popular Flash and other plug-ins.
The Redmond, Wash.-based company is releasing two versions of what is still the world’s most popular browser, a “Metro” version aimed at tablets and a traditional version designed for conventional computers.
The Metro version will not only not use Flash, it won’t support any plug-ins at all.
“Running Metro-style IE plug-in free improves battery life as well as security, reliability, and privacy for consumers,” IE lead developer Dean Hachamovitch said in a blog post. “But the Web has come a long way since then with HTML5. Providing compatibility with legacy plug-in technologies would detract from, rather than improve, the consumer experience of browsing in the Metro-style UI.”
If Microsoft is serious about dumping Flash, it may really give the HTML5 movement and other open Web technologies a boost. But if you want to be more cynical, it’s possible to argue that Microsoft is banning Flash because they would rather implement a technology that they themselves control. Would Apple’s App Store have done as well if they’d allowed Flash to run on iOS devices? Microsoft, as well as Apple, is known for its tight-fisted control of their platform and flexing their muscle over developers. With the browser wars heating up again, will Internet Explorer stay on top as it faces off with Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome?
