“Flash Virtual Machine”

“Flash Virtual Machine”“Flash Virtual Machine”: Steven Webster starts a good discussion here on the parallels between the Macromedia Flash Player, the various Java Virtual Machines, and Microsoft's larger Common Language Runtime. I agree that the “VM” term could be appropriate now… although the CLR has more access to the system and dependencies than the other two, each is now essentially a way to process instructions on an unanticipated machine. For “Why 'Player' and not 'VM'?” I think there are a few reasons — historically, the Macromedia Flash Player was named 'long before it developed its current abilities, for instance. But the name isn't aimed at potential clients as much as the name is for the general public — Flash's unique advantage is in its rapid and widespread consumer adoption, version after version, platform across platform. The term “virtual machine” could work better for a technologist, true, but I'm not certain what its impact would be on the people who have to agree to actually install the thing. (If you use the term when talking with a client, though, then the point is moot, I guess. 8) (Historical trivia: the Macromedia Flash Advertising Alliance has been around for a few years now.)  [JD on MX]

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