Flash development for the iPhone?!

Today is one of days I am overjoyed that I read the MAKE Blog, as I found an incredible bit of news today. As I scrolled down MAKE's page I found an article that nearly made me explode with excitement (Not literally... that'd be pretty weird). Adobe recently announced that Flash and ActionScript 3 developers (like me) will soon be able to deploy their applications on the iPhone. Yes, the iPhone. You may now take a moment to wear a black turtleneck and hold your hands up in the air like Steve Jobs and declare "All this.... coming to the iPhone!" and get roars of approval from fans who have no idea what you're saying and will later dig through your trash to find a half-eaten banana with your precious DNA on it.


Worship me!!!

Is this too good to be true? Will Flash developers finally stretch beyond the limits of your PC's (or Mac's, make Steve Jobs proud) browser? Can I go right now and code for the iPhone to my heart's desire? Yes, yes, and NO.

As far as I know this isn't too good to be true, because there's a catch. Though yes, Flash developers will be able to bust their way out of your monitor's confines and leap onto your iPhone, it ain't gonna happen any time soon. Of course, typical Adobe, we have to wait and buy the Flash CS5 upgrade to build iPhone Apps, until then only the special developers will be able to build iPhone apps with Flash.


[or watch this video on youtube]

The beta test will be released this year (hopefully sooner than later), and will be (promptly?) followed by the actual release of CS5. Unfortunately, I doubt I'll be a Beta Tester, as there are about 5 million* other developers slobbering over their keyboards trying to become one of the first to use it. Not to mention I haven't really made a name for myself in the Flash community other than my one sub-par game.

I personally think that to make things truly fair Adobe should put all 5 million of us Flash developers into one giant pit and have us fight for a single Beta copy of Flash CS5.



Footnotes:

*: I made up this number all by myself.