Adobe Flash Player to be integrated into Internet Explorer 10

[Arthur]

Interesting move by Microsoft.

 

Windows 8 will integrate, include Adobe Flash

Internet Explorer 10 in Windows 8 will include a bundled, integrated version of Adobe Flash, and the Metro-style browser will support the use of Flash on a limited number of sites. This news and corroborating screenshots comes from Within Windows and winunleaked.tk.

 

In Windows 8, Microsoft's browser will come in two guises. There will be the traditional desktop browser, with its full support of plug-ins and extensions, and there will be the new Metro-style browser that will be plug-in free. But that's not quite the whole story. The browser will include an integrated and embedded version of Adobe Flash, and because this will be built-in, it won't be treated as a plug-in.

 

The result? Even the Metro-style browser will be able to use Flash.

 

Microsoft isn't opening the floodgates entirely. Use of Flash in the Metro-style browser will be limited to those sites included on a whitelist. The list is comprised of a mix of domains: video sites such as Hulu, YouTube, and Vimeo, news sites including CNN, the BBC, and Wired, and a number of entertainment and gaming sites, including Facebook and Zynga. Flash-based interactive content on these sites will work in the Metro-style browser. Flash content on other sites will require the use of the desktop browser. (Source)

 

Internet Explorer 10 will Ship with Adobe Flash

Two years ago, Microsoft declared that the future of video on the web would be powered by HTML 5. Today, however, a lot of web video content is still delivered via Adobe Flash technology. So, in a somewhat surprising move, Microsoft is integrating Flash directly into Internet Explorer 10 on Windows 8 and doing so in a way that does not undermine the safety and reliability of the Metro environment.

 

[...]

 

... Adobe actually provided Microsoft with source code access to Flash, allowing them to seamlessly integrate the technology into IE 10. Thus, Microsoft did not need to make an exception to its no-add-on policy for Internet Explorer Metro. By making Flash a part of IE 10, it can ensure the code meets its own standards for reliability, compatibility, security, and, probably most important, performance.

 

Remember, Hachamovitch noted that Flash was an important part of delivering a good consumer experience on today’s web. So, Microsoft has extended the Internet Explorer Compatibility View list to include rules for popular Flash-based web sites that are known to meet certain criteria. That is, Flash is supported for only those popular but legacy web sites that need it. This feature is not broadly available for all sites.

 

This move, while initially surprising, is entirely in keeping with Microsoft’s long-standing commitments to backwards compatibility. (Source)

 

http://i.imgur.com/dQoU3.png

Edited May 24, 2012 by Arthur

[sonofsanta]

The whitelisting is wrong on so many levels. I can't even construct it into a reasoned argument as the stupidity of the decision is infectious.

 

* Splitting the web into Microsoft-approved and not-approved.

* Artificially limiting software

* Treating consumers like mindless idiots

* Further gimping Metro and necessitating switching between Metro and the old shell

* Once again, having the perfect opportunity to dethrone Apple and throwing it away, as with the enterprise management of Windows RT

 

...just... I don't know why they are doing this to themselves.

[BJG]

Don't see the point really. And Adobe seem to update Flash player every 5 minutes. Edited May 24, 2012 by BJG

[AngryTechnician]

Don't see the point really. And Adobe seem to update Flash player every 5 minutes.

 

That's the biggest problem I have with this. Either Microsoft are going to have to push updates at short notice up to 3 times a month (yes it is that frequent sometimes) or we are going to have a lot of compromised Windows 8 machines.

[elsiegee40]

Chrome has Flash integrated into it... is this not updated often enough?

[localzuk]

Chrome has Flash integrated into it... is this not updated often enough?

 

Chrome is updated silently and the updates are tiny (IIRC an upgrade from v 11 to v12 was something like 30kb) as they are differentials of the compiled code.

 

Having Flash capability is important - it is still popular on the internet as nearly all video streaming sites still use it. However, white-listing it for the Metro version of IE seems a bit odd. I'm guessing it is because they know that some Flash sites chomp through resources, and Metro apps aren't very resource friendly in the first place (as they're managed apps).

 

I'll be sticking with Windows 7 and Chrome for foreseeable future!

[AngryTechnician]

Chrome has Flash integrated into it... is this not updated often enough?

 

A significant proportion of Chrome updates are only for Flash vulnerabilities. My point is that it will mean a step change from Microsoft in terms of how often they issue IE updates.

[Davit2005]

Looking forward to the day when we no longer have to install any plugins.

 

And as also mentioned, is this Microsoft and Adobe ganging up on Apple?

 

Might add that this could be a recipe for disaster, we've seen how intergrated IE is with windows are we going to have flash animated sections of Windows now?

[cromertech]

Microsoft tried it's own rival for flash. Not embedding Silverlight into the browser though. Almost an admission of defeat I think.

 

I agree with most of the others on here though. This won't really be a step forward unless they can master the silent update process. Too often I have to click the postpone button to stop windows rebooting because an update was applied.

[jamesfed]

I agree with most of the others on here though. This won't really be a step forward unless they can master the silent update process. Too often I have to click the postpone button to stop windows rebooting because an update was applied.

 

Microsoft have already run over how much easier updates are in Windows 8 so no need to worry about that

 

I would say its a intresting move but one that I will support - with the large number of flash expolits you would expect that should someone do something to YouTube that makes all the videos toast your PC that Microsoft would be pretty quick to remove them from the list of supported sites (and as such protect your PC).

 

As far as 'treating customers like mindless idots' goes - that is entirely Microsofts intent, just as it is Apples intent. Hammer out features that could cause issues and make the OS as simple as possible. Ok maybe that won't be a good thing for people like us but for the 99% people who go 'ugg, me want iPad' its a good thing.

[sted]

Microsoft have already run over how much easier updates are in Windows 8 so no need to worry about that

 

they said that bout vista/7 and it needs to reboot as often as xp for updates in my experience