Jobs to Adobe Flash: You don't run the show, we do.

The smackdown continues. Months ago, many Flash developers had been looking forward to using the latest version of Flash to author iPhone applications, and those hopes were dashed when Apple said it simply wouldn't allow it. Basically saying that the code would not be clean, elegant and stable enough. It is known that Apple and Adobe have been dueling for quite some time. But now Jobs has released an open letter explaining Apple's decision to ban Flash iPhone apps and to continue to avoid Flash altogether when it comes to the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

Some of the rhetoric seemed steeped in angry emotion - when Jobs says that Flash was built for the mouse/PC mentality and not mobile touchpoint technology. (Basically saying that Flash is old-school. Old hat.)

But it seems the real reason is that Flash steps between the operating system and the user. Somewhat shutting out what Apple can control and therefore controlling the experience for the user. And as we all have learned over the years – Apple has ALWAYS been about control. Control over both the hardware and the software.

Flash on the other hand has heard Apple's grumblings and has moved to improve areas in which it receives a lot of criticism - power consumption, instability and lack of multitouch support. It remains to be seen if Apple will open it's arms when these issues are resolved. Mostly because Flash will still be standing between Apple and the user and Steve Jobs simply doesn't like that.

More here at CBS Tech Talk.