Microsoft joins Apple in Flash battle

Software giant Microsoft has joined in the Flash debate by suggesting the plugin, also scorned by Apple, has its flaws.

“Flash does have some issues, particularly around reliability, security and performance,” said Dean Hachamovitch, general manager for the Internet Explorer browser, in a statement.

He also added the company works with Adobe to help it fix bugs. However, Microsoft is currently supporting the rival HTML5 format – the same format marketed by Apple as the superior alternative to Flash.

“Flash is a successful business for Adobe, and we can understand why they want to push it beyond PCs,” he said. “But the mobile era is about low power devices, touch interfaces and open web standards – all areas where Flash falls short.”