Apple Shareholder Meeting Follow-Up

This news story is based on the question I asked re: Adobe at the Apple shareholder meeting--the story's negative slant was surprising, especially because it excluded Mr. Jobs' positive comments about Adobe at the meeting:

Adobe's Flash Player Not Suited For Phone, Apple CEO Says

March 04, 2008: 05:42 PM EST

"Adobe Systems Inc.'s (ADBE) popular media player for cellphones simply isn't good enough for Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) iPhone, Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs said Tuesday in the most substantive comments to date about why the iPhone can't now be used to view a large percentage of videos on the Internet."

"Apple's iPhone, with all its cutting-edge mobile Internet trickery, needs something much better than the current Flash player that Adobe makes for cellphones."

Perhaps the more accurate term would be much "faster," not "better." Basically, Adobe's existing software is designed for larger electronics, like laptops, not devices as small as the iPhone. But Jobs didn't seem like he was intentionally slamming Adobe. He was saying that no product existed that provided the speed he needed--he said, "There's this missing product in the middle.

This part is interesting: "The companies have a history of strained relations. Several years ago, Adobe dropped support for Apple's Macintosh computers and then introduced other software products that were only compatible with Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) software...With the continuing tensions over the iPhone, it appears the two may be drifting further apart."

See, this is surprising, because neither CEO seemed to indicate that there were any strained relations, at least not currently. Still, it makes for good drama in the high tech Valley.

The article was written by Ben Charny; Dow Jones Newswires; 415-765-8230. ben.charny@dowjones.com