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Adobe Flash Playerfor Mac

32.0.0.344

6

Is it outdated?

Ever gotten an error message on YouTube telling you to update your Flash Player to its latest version. Nope? No surprise there. With technology evolving to support SWF (Small Web Format) now, you don't need Flash Player to enjoy all sorts of online content. So does it make sense to still download the program?

The end of an era

Despite regular updates and improvements for Flash Player, the software has lost ground to other software programs like HTML5, WebGL, and WebAssemble.

Back in the day, watching videos and playing multimedia games online were impossible without the help of Adobe Flash Player. Even if you had a Mac, you still needed to download the software to make the most of its entertainment capabilities. But now, times have changed; what was once an absolute must is no longer in demand.  By the end of 2020, Adobe will no longer continue supporting the program. Regardless, that doesn't mean you have to miss out on some of the benefits that the program still has to offer. 

Entertainment and gaming experience

True to its original promise, Adobe Flash Player drives entertainment and fun with its spectacular gaming features. Using the GPU rendering feature, you can build fast 2D and 3D games in high-definition and full-screen. Its enhanced mouse control draws you deeper into the gaming experience to give you a more hands-on or rather, finger-on —approach. For those who are avid gamers, you won't want to miss out on these fun perks.  

The software program also lets you watch videos in HD with industry-standard codecs such as H.264, AAC, and MP3. It can help you create high-quality vector graphics or produce true 1080p videos. The LZMA compression algorithm lets you deliver optimized SWF files for faster download. Adobe recently improved Flash Player's bitmap control to deliver better and more interactive animation. 

The future of Flash Player

Although Adobe has done well to integrate updates and improvements in this program, the company has not been able to keep up enough pace with breakthroughs in technology. For that reason, the pioneering tech company has decided to call it quits with Adobe Flash Player. 

For those of you who want to take advantage of the software program, you'll have until the end of 2020 to do so. After that, Adobe will no longer continue developing the program. But until said EOL, you can rest assured that the company will offer support to current users and issue regular security patches to promise quality service at least. 

Where can you run this program?

Adobe Flash Player is available on Mac OS. It has a separate client for Windows 7 or older OS, as well as for Windows 8 and 10. Linux users may also download the software on their devices. The program can be supported on browsers like Internet Explorer, IE for Windows 10, Edge, Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome, and Opera. 

Is there a better alternative?

While there are definitely other applications similar to Adobe Flash Player,  they don't compare to the tech giant's product.  If you're looking to ween off Adobe Flash Player, check out ClickToFlash or ClickToPlugin extensions for your Safari browser. Another option is to download the Google Chrome browser, which supports HTML5 and  offers YouTube.

Our take

Adobe Flash Player has served its purpose well. Its developers continue to update the software in order to keep its users safe and improve its performance over time. Yet, in spite of all of this, it won't matter any more when the program is decommissioned in the coming year. 

Should you download it? 

No. If you don't regularly consume Flash-based content, getting Adobe Flash Player would be pointless. Download the software only if you think you will need to access any Flash-based content. If you end up getting the program, just make sure to update the program periodically to not miss out on the latest security patches. 

Highs

  • Enjoy rich content
  • Regular updates from Adobe
  • Runs on multiple platforms

Lows

  • Could become a security threat
  • Adobe will pull the plug by the end of 2020
  • Almost unnecessary at this point

Also available in other platforms

Program available in other languages

Adobe Flash Playerfor Mac

32.0.0.344

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