FLASH vs html

Lets talk about the things that Flash can do that HTML can’t: (in no particular order)

• Video. There is no way to put video into an HTML page without a plugin. Flash is by far the best option for web based video.You want proof that Flash is the best video option. How’s this: Google video uses Flash. Do you think they really wanted to use Flash? I have no doubt that they talked at length about their options and I’m sure that they seriously considered writing their own plugin and codec. But in the end the realized that Flash was just too good and too easy to use.
• Testing. If you’re producing a DHTML/AJAX site then you will have to factor in a good chunk of time for testing and the subsequent debugging. This process alone can take up 50% of your dev time if things go badly. Testing with Flash is much easier to do during development. This is where the plugin really pays off because if it works with one browser then it works with all. (Okay, I have had a few weird things happen between different browsers but that’s the exception rather than the rule with HTML.) Case in point: my FireFox browser crashes about once a week while using Gmail and they tested the hell out of that site. These things happen in the DHTML/AJAX world but not so much with Flash.
• Fonts. With html you can use styles of fonts but you’re limited to what the user has on their machine. With Flash, you can use any font you like.
• Accessibility. Flash has actually been ill considered as being handicap accessible. If done correctly it can be way more handicap friendly than any html based page ever could. All it takes is a little planning and a little extra work.
• PNGs. You want full PNG support with transparency? Yeah, put that PNG into an <image> tag and see what you get.
• Datagrid. Last time I checked there was no datagrid tag in HTML. Sure, you can put dynamic data into a table but you want the user to be able to sort that data on the client side then you’ll be using Flash.
• Forms. HTML/Javascript and forms go hand in hand but Flash can do it better. You have more options and can do much more on the client side.
• Usability. Flash gets railed on for poor usability. That’s like the hole “Gun’s don’t kill people. People kill people argument.” If you’re building a complex website and usability is paramount to you then don’t look any further than Flash. Anything that can be done in HTML can be done in Flash but Flash can offer so many other degrees of freedom in the design process that can aid in usability.
• Aesthetics. The coolest, most dynamic websites all use Flash. When was the last time you saw a blockbuster movie’s website that was done in anything other that Flash? That would be the late 90s.
• Site updates. I’d say this is really pretty much a tie with HTML/server side code. All it takes is planning. Bottom line is that you can make a site in Flash that can be easily updated if you know what you’re doing.
• Web Applications. Have you seen any of the new Web App sites that are as cool as Goowy.com? Have you seen any browser based games built with DHTML? I didn’t think so. Flash has become the leading platform for web based projects that are highly complex.