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Macromedia Flash Player is not just for desktop
computers anymore. It's actually for
a wide variety of devices, including the Pocket
PC, Symbian OS devices, WebTV, Sony PS2, ATMs,
and others. The kind of device with the most
potential for growth is the Pocket PC, so
I'd
like to discuss the benefits (and other aspects)
of creating Flash content for this platform.
"Pocket PC" refers
to a class of personal digital assistant (PDA)
devices that run the Microsoft Pocket PC operating
system. Current devices are referred to as "Pocket
PC 2002" devices because of the OS and hardware
configurations. |
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Most of these
devices include the following features:
- Intel StrongARM Processor 206MHz
- 32ø64MB built-in RAM
- 240x320, 64,000 color screen
- Built-in expansion (CompactFlash, SD, MMC)
- Wide variety of third-party hardware and software solutions
- Rich media (Macromedia Flash, Windows Media, MP3)
- Pocket Internet Explorer
As you can see, Pocket PC devices are more than just organizers.
They are powerful, rich-media, easy-to-use PDAs that are capable
of displaying Macromedia Flash content. For more information
about specific Pocket PC devices, check out Microsoft's detailed hardware comparison chart on
the PocketPC.com website. |
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Develop once, deploy it everywhere
Because the ability to display Macromedia Flash content
is so widespread, Macromedia Flash is the best tool for
developing websites and applications across multiple platforms.
Further, with the release of Macromedia Flash MX, the
development
environment is even more approachable and accessible. Macromedia
Flash has traditionally been used to create games, entertainment,
and utilities for the Pocket PC. The new, more exciting,
kind of Flash content on the Pocket PC will be custom-branded
e-commerce and business applications—all accessable
anywhere, anytime.
The Pocket PC 2002 Content Development Kit (CDK)
One of your best learning resources is the Macromedia Flash Player
for Pocket PC 2002 Content Development Kit.
The CDK's documentation outlines best practices
for creating Macromedia Flash content for Pocket
PC 2002 devices. In addition to providing examples
of Flash content, the CDK also features a plethora
of information geared for developers. Topics include:
- User interface
- Input methods
- Screen economy
- Online detection
- File size and memory
Make sure you take the time to explore the included FLAs
and middleware examples. Being able to redirect visitors
to another page based on the device they're using to access
the website is not only handy, but pretty cool too.
Displaying the Macromedia Flash content
By default, when you create Macromedia Flash content
for Pocket PC devices, you display it by placing
the SWF file in an HTML page and using Pocket
Internet Explorer (PIE) to view the page. A stand-alone
player for Pocket PCs doesn't yet exist. Because
there are some limitations to using PIE (these
are covered in the Content Developers Kit), some
developers have created custom, stand-alone Flash
players that allow you to display Macromedia Flash
content on a full-screen (240x320 pixels). Using
a standalone player has many advantages, including
being able to create Flash content for the entire
screen. Currently only one
developer has created stand-alone applications;
however, in the future you should expect to see
other developers offering similar types of functionality.
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Test, test, and then test some more
It's important that you test your Flash content repeatedly.
You want to make sure that your application performs the
way you intended it to. If you're developing an application
for a client, make sure the client stays involved throughout
the design, development, and testing phases.
Currently there isn't a Pocket PC emulator that will allow
you to view Macromedia Flash content outside of a Pocket
PC. So, if you're developing that content for Pocket PC
devices and you don't already have such a device, you will
have to think creatively. Ask someone who has a Pocket PC
device with the Macromedia Flash Player installed to test
your application. You could also post your request in Macromedia
discussion groups for others to test it out. Feedback
from your peers is always helpful and beneficial. |
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What's ahead
Macromedia Flash and Pocket PCs are both heading toward
allowing users to interact with dynamically-driven content
in a rich GUI while wirelessly connected to a PAN, LAN,
or WAN. Granted, this is not going to happen overnight.
But, in our roles as Macromedia Flash and Pocket PC developers,
we can work together to take small steps leading in that
direction. Eventually, we'll get there.
In terms of hardware, there are always going to be new
devices coming out. If you take a look at recent press releases
from Intel, mmO2, Toshiba, HP (to name only a few), you'll
see that a "new generation" of Pocket PC devices will be
available in the next several months. Expect to see these
important changes in new Pocket PC 2002 devices:
- Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition
- Intel XScale Processors (400 MHz)
- Built-in 802.11 and Bluetooth connectivity
- Improved battery life
All of these (and other) new features will further expand
what Macromedia Flash content can do on Pocket PCs.
On the software side, Macromedia recently released Macromedia
Flash MX, featuring powerful video, multimedia and application
development capabilties. Since then, Macromedia has also
rolled out the additional members of the Macromedia MX product
line: Dreamweaver MX,
Fireworks MX, and ColdFusion
MX. These integrated Macromedia MX products work hand-in-hand
to create electronic content and web-based dynamic applications.
Macromedia Flash MX developers will soon be able to efficiently
leverage various types of information for immersive Flash
content—and then deliver this content in a variety
of ways and on a variety of devices, including the Pocket
PC.
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Available resources
Check out these links for more information about developing
Macromedia Flash content for Pocket PCs:
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| About the author
Bill Perry is in charge of developer relations for mobile and devices at Macromedia and is helping to shape the future of mobile devices using Flash technologies. He interacts and supports developers, content providers, media owners, mobile operators, and handset/device manufacturers from around the world. When he's not busy with work, Bill enjoys cycling and spending time with his wife and friends.
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