My earliest memories of having a desktop computer at home typically involve the ability to view images and watch videos. I’ve had IBM, Dell and HP computers and each brand made it very simple for users to view image and text content. However, all three probably had the same thing in common with some of the other computer manufacturers and distributors: it can be a challenge to deliver a video solution to any of the popular operating systems people frequently use. Downloading and installing Adobe Flash Player became the solution to this problem for so many computer users. Instead of seeing blocked content on web pages that are supposed to show videos, Adobe Flash Player made it possible for computer users with compatible operating systems and specifications to view videos, slideshows and moving images. Adobe has been around for more than 30 years and the absence of its product will be a digital culture shock for many computer users that continue to have Adobe software installed.
Adobe Flash Player has also been very helpful to website and content creators. It gave them the possibility for their viewers to see video and animated content that would probably not be present in many competitor’s websites. Also, the general internet surfer knew that if there was content that would not display or appear at all, there was a great chance that the user could download Adobe Flash Player and be able to see the content as every visitor should. Many web developers, especially in the 90s and 2000s, made websites that predominately featured Adobe Flash content. Since the company has made the decision to make it an end-of-life product, every internet user that has the program installed will have to remove it as it will no longer be functional. Although Adobe made the announcement that this would take place back in mid-2017, they official decided to rollout its measures on Jan. 12, 2021. If users try to open the Adobe Flash Play today or going forward they will receive a message indicating that they should uninstall the program. Adobe has already stated publicly that all Adobe users should uninstall the program because they are trying to reduce the possibility of vulnerabilities taking place on computers that are running an obsolete program. According to the company, “Therefore, Adobe will continue to prompt users to uninstall Flash Player and strongly recommends that all users immediately uninstall Flash Player.”
Right now Microsoft is working on a security update that will automatically remove Adobe Flash Player from computers running Windows 10. Not only will computer users be without the Adobe Flash Player to view content, but the major browser developers will also need to remove any Flash related settings in their web browser. Google and Mozilla are already working on methods of removing Flash content and its settings from the browser. The reason why Adobe is ending the Adobe Flash and Adobe Flash Player content is primarily because it is difficult and sometimes impossible to display its content on mobile devices. The popularity of the iPads, Android tablets and IOT devices are what caused Adobe to make this decision, as their products do not work effectively on those types of devices. Even though they are removing their popular products, the company will still move forward with its other products and services. They have been no information made public regarding a future successor to the Adobe Flash or Adobe Flash Player.