Windows 8 to support Flash, Adobe says

Microsoft® got the tech industry buzzing in September when it gave the world its first peek at the tablet/PC-friendly Windows® 8 operating system. Now, software developer Adobe® has joined the party, revealing that its Flash® applications will be supported on the upcoming OS.

In a post on the company's official blog, Adobe's Danny Winokur says the company expects Windows 8 "to be extremely popular for years to come," and that users won't have to worry about the absence of Flash for web-based games and video content.

This is a significant development for the tablet market, as industry leader Apple® has repeatedly and controversially declined to include native Flash support on its iPad®. As a result, Flash support has become a major selling point for various Android- and Windows-based tablet computers.

Adobe says it will deliver Flash for Windows 8's new "Metro" style through Adobe AIR®, and the software will focus heavily on HTML5, the latest version of web technology.

"We are excited about the innovation and opportunities that are available to our customers and Adobe as the web and platforms evolve across devices, including Windows 8 and Metro," Winokur writes.

Microsoft officially introduced Windows 8 in September at the BUILD conference in Anaheim, California. The company expects the software to be available in the later half of 2012.