Adobe releases an HTML5 developer tool but doesn't commit to its future

SOFTWARE DEVELOPER Adobe has released the public preview of Edge, an HTML5 and CSS3 animation tool that it hopes will work alongside its long standing Flash software, though it would not commit on its future.

The impending arrival of HTML5 and CSS3 has led many to believe that the demise of Adobe's Flash was a foregone conclusion, however Adobe hopes that by creating applications that allow developers to develop using HTML5 and CSS3, it will save some of the lost revenue should Flash bite the dust. Adobe Edge is the firm's attempt to create a Flash-like development environment for web animations using HTML5 and CSS3.

John Cole, creative solutions architect at Adobe said the firm expected "Flash and HTML5 to co-exist in the long term". Adobe Edge is currently free to download from Adobe's Labs website with Cole confirming that it will remain free during the course of its public preview period.

Cole said that Adobe Edge will "bring Flash like animation" but use HTML5, adding that the firm believes "web developers have difficulty with animation using open standards". Apart from it's closed Flash standard, Adobe is known for its authoring tools, especially in the raster and vector image markets with Photoshop and Illustrator respectively, so producing an authoring tool for HTML5 and CSS3 is a fairly logical step for the company.

However what is not clear is Adobe's commitment to Edge. Cole was not willing to commit further than a 1.0 release saying Adobe is "not going to commit to lifelong products" but added "HTML5 is going to be big". The point about commitment in a such a product is important as customers need to establish their workflows around particular products.

The question of Adobe's commitment to Edge was brought up by a number of journalists simply because the firm has such a large investment in Flash. A commitment to get a '1.0 release' out the door is really the bare minimum, after all there's no way even Adobe could get away without putting out a final release of a product that it courted publicity for and had in public preview.

Cole said Adobe would release Edge 1.0 "sometime in 2012", which again doesn't inspire a great deal of confidence as design firms look to take advantage of increasing web browser support for HTML5 and CSS3. At present it seems that Adobe is making a half hearted attempt at embracing open standards while trying to keep its Flash software relevant for as long as possible. µ