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Mac OS X 10.6.4 missing Flash 10.1, says Adobe

updated 09:55 am EDT, Thu June 17, 2010

Complains Apple not keeping up-to-date

Apple has once again failed to put the latest version of Flash in a Snow Leopard update, Adobe's security and privacy director complains. Mac OS X 10.6.4, released on Tuesday, includes Flash Player The problem, says Brad Arkin, is that this version of Flash was originally released for Macs in February, whereas v10.1 has been available since last week and fixes major security vulnerabilities, in addition to bringing feature improvements.

Apple infamously shipped the first edition of Snow Leopard with an older version of Flash. The current update does not appear to downgrade Adobe's software, but unless Apple publishes a follow-up security update or Adobe sends out prompts, some users may be left without protection against known Flash-based exploits. On the surface the lack of parity appears to conflict with statements by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who has railed against Adobe for failing to address bugs and vulnerabilities.

by MacNN Staff





  1. legacyb4

    Joined: Dec 1969



    does Brad think that apple would introduce a new software component (flash 10.1) under week from general release of a service pack (10.6.4)? and he wants to blame apple for that?

  1. C.J. Moof

    Joined: Dec 1969


    why is Apple

    even updating Adobe's software? OK, it's a nice benefit to the end user, but it's a very generous gesture for them to update a 3rd party's continually flawed releases. It would be nice if Software Update could keep all my apps up to date (as the App store does for iOS devices), but OS X currently doesn't work that way. (Nor does Windows... just try to get Windows Update to get you the latest Chrome build. Nope.)

    If there wasn't a steady stream of security failures in the Adobe products, there wouldn't be a concern that Apple isn't handing out the latest build.

  1. eldarkus

    Joined: Dec 1969



    Since when is it Apple's job to give users the latest updates to other peoples software?

  1. vintagegeek

    Joined: Dec 1969


    One Week - Come On

    Nobody in there right mind would add software to a release with one week to go. A lot of hoopla over nothing.

  1. DiabloConQueso

    Joined: Dec 1969


    Apple's fault?

    So now it's Apple's fault for not protecting their users against flaws that Adobe introduced into their own software?

    To Mr. Adobe: your software has security holes in it, as you've admitted. It is your responsibility and your responsibility alone to get the fixes into the hands of your users. Was it even brought to the attention of Apple that they should be including Flash 10.1 in their most recent OS update, or did you just kick back and see whether or not Apple would include it, then turn around and lambast them after the fact?

  1. sammaffei

    Joined: Dec 1969


    Adobe Poo-Poo Heads

    Now, Adobe just sounds like a whiny baby.

    Apple can't hear you over the screaming hordes of perspective iPhone 4 owners. Looks like there's a more than half a million people that voted no confidence in mobile Flash.

  1. sailin74

    Joined: Dec 1969



    I was expecting to hear that Flash 10.1 wasn't compatible with 10.6.4.

  1. Lifeisabeach

    Joined: Dec 1969


    What a bunch of wankers.

    The more Adobe opens their mouths and pitches a fit like little babies, the more I desire to see Apple grind them into dust. Seriously Brad, grow the frak up.

  1. CarlRJ

    Joined: Dec 1969


    Too late...

    Apple has been building and testing 10.6.4 for months. Adobe released Flash 10.1 less than 5 days (3 business days) ago. I'd say they missed the deadline for testing and integration, especially considering a) this is 3rd party code that Apple has to take as a black box, they don't get to examine it at the source code level the way they do all their own code; and b) Adobe has a long history of delivering versions of flash for Mac OS X that range from bug-ridden all the way up to mediocre.

    And if Apple were to believe Adobe when they say, "no, trust us, _this_ time it'll be great", and ship code they'd been handed at the last minute, ... and then something goes wrong, the criticism would come back to Apple, not Adobe. Apple doesn't like to be stuck taking the heat for other companies who've repeatedly let them down (Microsoft, Motorola, IBM, Adobe).

    It also doesn't bode well that features Adobe has been claiming would be in Flash 10.1 (*cough* hardware acceleration on Mac OS X *cough*), have vanished from the final product, with them now saying, "oh, no, those will ship in an _update_ to the update."

  1. Herod

    Joined: Dec 1969


    i have an idea

    maybe apple should just ship each os software update with the absence of the flash plug-in. then the user would have to be required to install it again themselves. how would adobe like that?

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