Microsoft is just saying no, just like Apple did, on the subject of web-based plug-ins. According to the Building Windows 8 blog — that Mecca of Windows 8 information — Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 8 under the Metro interface will not support any plug-ins including Flash. Microsoft’s reasoning, and my 2 cents, are all coming up if you keep reading …

The Windows 8 Blog outlines some eerily similar reasons for why Microsoft isn’t supporting Flash and other web plug-ins under Metro. It’s summed up nicely by Microsoft’s Dean Hachamovitch, who is currently leading the Internet Explorer team for Windows 8.

For the web to move forward and for consumers to get the most out of touch-first browsing, the Metro style browser in Windows 8 is as HTML5-only as possible, and plug-in free. The experience that plug-ins provide today is not a good match with Metro style browsing and the modern HTML5 web.

Running Metro style IE plug-in free improves battery life as well as security, reliability, and privacy for consumers. Plug-ins were important early on in the web’s history. But the web has come a long way since then with HTML5. Providing compatibility with legacy plug-in technologies would detract from, rather than improve, the consumer experience of browsing in the Metro style UI.

Short of calling out any particular plug-ins, like Steve Jobs did when talking about Flash and Adobe, these reasons are the same reasons they were roughly a year ago when the iPad launched and Jobs declared a moratorium on the ubiquitous plug-in. Microsoft has truly jumped in with HTML5, even noting users can build Metro-style apps with it. And for the industry, that means we officially have three big trendsetters supporting HTML5 as a platform and HTML5 for an open web: Apple, Google and now Microsoft.

Is this the death knell for Adobe’s Flash roadmap? Not likely — at least, not yet anyway. But I challenge our readership to disable Flash and see how much of the web is HTML5-friendly these days. YouTube, Vimeo and many other sites support HTM5 video, which seems to be the hotly contested source of Flash’s main use. If you find yourself at website entirely running pure Flash, it probably hasn’t been updated since 1998 (or you’re visiting an obnoxious restaurant’s homepage). HTML5 has a lot to offer, and it’s time to embrace it.

But hey, don’t worry. If you’re using Windows 8 and you’ve opened Internet Explorer under the regular Windows desktop, you’ll have the same web browsing experience you’re used to. But Microsoft has proven itself in moving to the future with yet another “bold” Windows 8 move, and that gets major kudos in my book.

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6 Comments on “Internet Explorer 10 ‘Metro’ Won’t Support Plug-ins, Flash”

  1. Mike Kureth Says:
    September 16th, 2011 at 4:04 pm

    “If you find yourself at website entirely running pure Flash, it probably hasn’t been updated since 1998 (or you’re visiting an obnoxious restaurant’s homepage). HTML5 has a lot to offer, and it’s time to embrace it.”

    It is interesting you mention the year 1998 since HTML5, CSS3, and JS as of 2011 are almost at the point of reaching what Flash could accomplish more than a decade ago. Your statement is very erroneous and misinformed.

  2. Kevin Says:
    September 16th, 2011 at 9:36 pm

    YOUR statement is erroneous.

    Cool story bro!

  3. Kevin Says:
    September 16th, 2011 at 9:37 pm

    YOUR statement is erroneous AND misinformed.

    Cool story bro!

  4. Victor Says:
    September 17th, 2011 at 9:05 am

    Good story Dave.

    Good move Microsoft. Flash and Acrobat Reader are painful to administer. The license agreement for them does not allow me to update multiple machines unless I request the right from Adobe. Give me a break. And for the longest time I had systems complain when quitting that Acrobat Reader is not shutting down. And why do I need a download manager to download flash?

    Sorry to rant against Adobe but they made themselves a headache to me.

    I am glad that MS is taking a stance on a standard. It is the only way that we can change things. This will make the web more accessable to all devices. Good move Microsoft!

  5. Dave Courbanou Says:
    September 19th, 2011 at 10:58 pm

    Hi Victor,

    Thanks for reading and I agree with you — Adobe can cause more headaches than necessary. I think an open web will provide a uniform user web experience across all platforms. In about 10 years, I think it won’t matter what device you have to browse the web, you’ll be able to access it all.

    Kevin,

    Thanks for reading and some intelligent discourse.

    Mike,

    I don’t know what version of 1998 you were living in, but Flash was NOT providing such high tech things like 3D webGL, streaming video and fully interactive web pages that required no plug-ins. In 1998 browsing the web required a ton of obnoxious plug-ins, including Flash, RealPlayer, Shockwave, Windows Media Player, DivX, QuickTime and a handful of obscure little plug-ins for novelty features like 360 degree panorama views.

    Does the Flash you know from 1998 provide anything that HTML5 can provide today? I don’t think so.

    Thanks for reading,
    -Dave

  6. Mike Says:
    October 13th, 2011 at 8:33 pm

    Do you have any examples of interactive HTML5 or Canvas based banner ads which can be deployed or supported across all browsers and platforms comparable to those created with Flash in 1998?

    Have you seen Adobe’s view on HTML5 support in its products and the new advances in Flash?

    The version of Flash in the late 1990′s closely resembles the Canvas’ capabilities. Yes, HTML5 used correctly has its uses, but unfortunately, it is supported significantly less than an entire site built in Flash throughout browsers. The two technologies used together is the future, not Flash being omitted.

    Please watch Adobe MAX 2011 presentations and sessions for Adobe’s view and support on the technologies.

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