I don’t even like flash, but this argument made by Steve Jobs makes me mad:

By almost any definition, Flash is a closed system.

Excepting, apparently, the definition that makes Flash open because swf is a publicly documented format which anyone is free to implement a compiler or viewer for. Having produced a new compiler (for example), one is then free to distribute swf files compiled with this third-party compiler to anyone with a flash player, who may then run them by any means they choose (including using an official Flash player or plugin from Adobe).

Compare that again to people who want to write iPhone apps using any tool other than Apple’s, and who want to distribute their creations to end-users to use without Apple’s endorsement (i.e the App Store).

And then please, continue to regale me with Apple’s astounding openness on this matter compared to the Big Bad Adobe.

–

Please note that I’m talking about the swf format here, not Adobe’s Flash creation program. Flash is to swf as XCode is to compiled iPhone Apps - any other comparison is disingenuous as I’m sure Steve knows.