Exclusive Video: Adobe CTO Lynch Smacks Back at Apple's "Protectionist Strategy," Calling It "Bad for Consumers" (But He'll Swing Chickens If Forced!)

April 11, 2010 at 6:06 pm PT

Yesterday, BoomTown helmed the ATD motorboat through the torrential rain to Adobe Systems’ San Francisco HQ for yet another sit-down with CTO Kevin Lynch about the latest drive-by software attack by Apple.

This time, rather than taking a more conciliatory tone as in the last video interview we did, the mild-mannered Lynch was more pointed, calling Apple’s actions to block use of its flagship Flash video technology by developers a “protectionist strategy” that was “bad for consumers.”

Lynch joked about Apple’s increasingly hostile moves against the software maker, saying the computer powerhouse will soon require developers to “build applications by typing with one hand and swinging a chicken above your head.”

Lynch then promised to package chickens with Adobe’s Creative Suite 5–the latest update of the collection of graphic design, video editing and Web development applications, to be launched tomorrow–if need be.

For those paying attention, Apple has definitely been pecking away at Adobe (ADBE) and Flash, which is the most popular video technology on the Web.

But it won’t remain so if Apple (AAPL) has its way.

To recap:

Right after the news that the iPad was coming from Apple earlier this year, CEO Steve Jobs, in much-leaked remarks at an employee meeting, called Flash a buggy software nightmare.

While Adobe has long tried soft-pedal the tech tussle, Apple escalated the battle last week by adding new rules for developers that pretty much freeze out Adobe, preventing them from using a tool that will port applications created in Flash to Apple’s iPhone and iPad operating systems.

With its anti-Flash workaround declared illegal by Apple, and even though Lynch penned a don’t-worry blog post, Adobe was also forced to acknowledge the potential damage in a regulatory filing last week.

What’s next is anyone’s guess in this Silicon Valley smackdown, but it looks like Apple and Adobe are going to the chicken-feather-filled mattresses.

Here’s my latest interview with Lynch:

Tagged with: Adobe Systems, Apple, application, blog, BoomTown, California, chicken, consumer, Creative Suite 5, developer, digital, editing, employee, Flash, graphic design, hardware, Internet, interview, iPad, iPhone, Kara Swisher, Kevin Lynch, operating system, protectionist strategy, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, software, Steve Jobs, swinging, tool, video

comments so far. Add yours.

zato

The chickens come home to roost for Adobe. After years of working with Microsoft to force the graphics industry to go Windows, noe they change their tune.
Anonymous

Adobe should make CS5 only available on Windows PC’s. I would certainly switch! My company would love it too since PC’s cost 1/3 as much as Macs for faster and more well-equipped hardware.
Anonymous

People who use Adobe’s creative tooling wish to deliver to different places. Adobe tries to remove those barriers… make it easier for creatives to reach their audiences.

Use new capability, or not… should be your choice to make.

jd/adobe
Anonymous

“Well I think Adobe tools can still be valuable if they produce tools for all platforms other than Apple.”

That would be ideal from Apple’s point of view. Apps for any other platform offering no special advantage over any other, not to mention the time lag between Adobe in updating their common platform and each of the other Mobile OS’s. while Apple can provide unique and powerful APIs for willing developers to produce state-of-the-art software.
dpertell

Why would it be bad for developers if they only uses “Apple's tools” on Apple devices? That was never ask…Kara! Why is so important for Adobe to make sure that developers uses their tools to make apps for Apple devices, since most of those “Apple tools” programs are open software? ex. C+, java…ect?
http://www.facebook.com/gaurangk Gaurang Khetan

Good interview. I like Adobe's stance despite being on the victim side of Apple's policies. Well Apple has its own business reasons for its actions — app store is one of the key reasons why people buy their devices, and if Adobe's Flash is able to produce apps for iPhone & iPad, and also simultaneously generate the app binaries for all the other devices — then there would be no special content for the iPhone! All apps will be available on all devices… which will nullify Apple devices' advantages! Kevin Lynch correctly pointed this out as a “protectionist” strategy.
Well I think Adobe tools can still be valuable if they produce tools for all platforms other than Apple. So developers would need to make 2 versions of their software — one for Apple , and for Flash which would run on all other devices. Win-Win!
http://www.macgasm.net macgasm

What's bad for consumers is when you ignore their complaints for years. Adobe has a terrible track record when it comes to their software on OS X devices.

It's taken them way too long to build in native 64-bit support for OS X. They've also neglected to bring Flash's performance up to par on OS X. Benchmarks between OS X and Windows have been largely skewed towards Windows.

Feeling sorry for a company that has treated consumers (Apple users) like crap for years is not something I'm prepared to do.

Besides, does Sony or Nintendo allow Flash games on their handhelds? Does Microsoft let you install flash based games on their 360?

I didn't think so.
lowpitch

Most annoying interview ever. Please stop interrupting and let him speak….
psyjaak

Agreed! Annoying.. finishing sentences.. meh..
rb1234

Flash is a bloated crap. I worked for Adobe. Their products are OLD and bloated which cann't be used on mobile devices. They want to put FLASH everywhere (including PDF files) and rub it on the whole world. Is it called monopoly ? They overcharge for their software. I like Apple's guts to go against this monopolist. If you clearly observe, most of the money made by Adobe is by using monopolistic tactics (PDF, Flash etc). Flash is inefficient. It is as simple as that.
thoma2jd

I wish she'd shut the hell up and let him finish responding after asking him questions.
Thank's for reminding me why there are about 15 other news sources the I'd check before ATD.
thoma2jd

aaaaaand she was unaware that CS5 actually launched today! Nice one!
dpertell

Come on John! I know better than that. If Apple did that, what would be the results of that? John Guber nails it:

http://daringfireball.net/2010.....cha…

“What Apple does not want is for some other company to establish a de facto standard software platform on top of [Apple's] Cocoa Touch. Not Adobe’s Flash. Not .NET (through MonoTouch). If that were to happen, there’s no lock-in advantage. If, say, a mobile Flash software platform — which encompassed multiple lower-level platforms, running on iPhone, Android, Windows Phone 7, and BlackBerry — were established, that app market would not give people a reason to prefer the iPhone. And, obviously, such a meta-platform would be out of Apple’s control. Consider a world where some other company’s cross-platform toolkit proved wildly popular. Then Apple releases major new features to iPhone OS, and that other company’s toolkit is slow to adopt them. At that point, it’s the other company that controls when third-party apps can make use of these features.

Apple been down that road. Remember the late 90's when Adobe sided with Microsoft and left Apple out in the cold? NOW, Adobe coming out with a 64bit CS in 2010? Please! If Adobe was in Apple place, would you say the same thing? I bet NOT!
http://lordalexleon.com/ LordAlex Leon

Took my site down for a full 24h in protest to Apple clause 3.3.1 http://lordalexleon.com/ enough said.

+LA
stevepaultechno

Poor Adobe! You're simply doomed, guys.
Sad for your creative past. But the truth is that it's long gone.
You thought you were Microsoft.
You thought the creative industry was saturated.
You invested all your efforts to LiveCycle and other non-sense.

You kept your apps so old and you made Apple begging for a Cocoa 64 app. But no. You wanted to keep your silly 18months circles. You lost your best employees to Apple and you hired the worst from Microsoft.
Perfect!
Now – if you still find the time – go back to your roots.
Create creative tools again. Make them available in decent prices.
If not you, someone else will gladly take your place.
The creative market is not saturated.
stevepaultechno

Yes! A very good idea. Then Adobe would be absolutely dead.
http://TRImagination.com/ Lee Graham

Hi Kara, you hit it on the head… Apple definitely has a fascist mentality. I was one of those Flash CS5 Beta Developers that built & had an App approved in the iTunes Store. Shortly before the iPad was announced I submitted a 2nd app developed with Flash CS5 and it is still “In Review” after a month. All I can say on the Long live Google Android!!! I can't wait to get my hands on an Android Tablet… I drool over Notion Ink's ADAM. =)
http://TRImagination.com/ Lee Graham

In response to… “They've also neglected to bring Flash's performance up to par on OS X.”

This is Apple's problem. They need to open up certain parts of their OS so that Flash can full utilize the system resources. Even Windows allowed for this.
wesdusell

Lee Graham don't forget about the HP Slate… Not one web cam but TWO and a full OS. Furthermore Apple has a patent that is used in HTML5. This is a great read http://blog.nothinggrinder.com/id-rather-be-a-woz help clear the fog in the air.
http://TRImagination.com/ Lee Graham

I don't know about the HP Slate. To me it just doesn't have the wow factor
and I was a bit disappointed.

Thanks for the link… that was an interesting insight. Cheers!
http://howtogetmyexbackways.com/ Ex Back

this is good site and there are more info!