Maureen O'Gara

Adobe says it's not going to pull its forbidden Flash-to-iPhone/iPad//iPod touch compiler out of its all-important, soon-to-ship Creative Suite 5, but it ain't gonna put anymore resources behind it either.

"We will still be shipping the ability to target the iPhone and iPad in Flash CS5," Mike Chambers, Adobe's principal product manager for Flash developer relations, blogged late Tuesday. "However, we are not currently planning any additional investments in that feature."

The widgetry was meant to get its Jobs-loathed Flash past Apple's border guards, but Apple caught them at it and declared the stuff contraband in its latest Apple Developer Program License Agreement, revised right before Adobe announced CS5. Ouch!

The license forbids developers to use any foreign tools or cross-platform interpreters or compiler, only Apple tools. Any apps that don't conform won't be allowed in the iTunes store. Apple claims compilers produce substandard applications.

The move has not won Apple any popularity contests with Flash developers. They can still theoretically try to run the gauntlet on their own but Apple also gets to beat them with sticks.

So Adobe has limped off to beta test its Flash Player for Android, which might wend its way out in products in the second half, an apparent delay. An Android version of Adobe Air is also scheduled for limited beta testing.

Adobe's probably trying to figure out how to play the HTML5 card.