Oscar Trelles

Ok, let’s talk about FlashPaper…

I would find it hard to believe that you haven’t already read anything about FlashPaper. Just in case, there are a couple of links at the end of the posting where you can find out what exactly FlashPaper is. Once you are back, read on.

Early reactions have been to compare it with Adobe’s PDF format. I did. But that simplistic approach is not in my mind anymore. Today I feel that both technologies play different roles, that FlashPaper’s approach to encapsulated document distribution is substantively… different. Four reasons to separate FlashPaper from PDF documents:

1. File size: I think Geoff Bowers was the first one I’ve read bringing document size to the table. SWFs generated by FlashPaper weight considerably less than PDF files. But what about functionality? well, FlashPaper is just that: ‘paper’, a captured print-out of your original document, it cannot be indexed nor searched for keywords, and other stuff that can be done with PDF files.

2. Plug-in: No other rich media plug-in has reached the ubiquity level Flash Player has, says John Dowdell, based on some comparative numbers between plug-ins and the most up-to-date data about Flash Player penetration. In short, more people can see documents generated with FlashPaper without having to download anything. Then, downloading and installing the Flash Player is, in most cases, something that happens in the background and in a matter of seconds. Acrobat reader plug-in is about 5Mb.

3. Distribution: PDFs are great to send documents with email messages. I wouldn’t think the same about sending SWFs… what do you think?

4. Price: Well, you get FlashPaper for free when buying Contribute for $99, you don’t need to be a Flash user. To create PDF files you need at least Acrobat Standard, available from Adobe for $299. Now, that’s a difference we all can agree with.

FlashPaper is still a first version, and as such needs lots of feedback and work to become an established product.

Must reads:
Macromedia FlashPaper printer driver technology
Making Documents Viewable Online with Macromedia FlashPaper