Partly works now if you don't need much control over it, or if you do work on the server to split the media into chunks. Full streaming support in progress, see WebRTC and other ongoing work.
> socket connections
See WebSocket, which has gone through some initial hiccups but otherwise works fine.
> fast 3d
WebGL provides 3D which runs as fast as the user's system can handle.
> advertising
Don't care. "The web still has ads?" But for the sake of argument: iframe, javascript, arbitrary web content just as capable as any other webpage.
Already exists in JavaScript, just blocked in modern browsers for privacy reasons. Needs to become another grantable permission, like geolocation, but I suspect it just hasn't become prominent enough on the radar yet compared to other features.
> install base
By definition smaller than the install base of web browsers. The proportion continues to decrease as mobile devices become more widespread.
> youtube, rdio, pandora, hulu, kongregate, flickr, imgur, github, googledocs, every site that has ads...
I'm all for Flash dying in time, don't get me wrong but let me summarize your answer here:
"Partly works, recent hiccups, runs on good hardware only, in progress (aka not here yet), blocked, smaller install base..."
I am all set for Flash to die, but I am not sure the web is QUITE ready for it to die yet. Replacements are coming quick... but the operative word is "coming". I look forward to the day it's all really here and ubiquitous as Flash is/was.
I said flash has a smaller installed base than web browsers, not the other way around. :) Also, I said WebGL runs as fast as the user's system can support.
I intended my post to summarize the ongoing work on the replacements for the various things people cared about in Flash, specifically to make it clear that HTML does have all the same use cases in mind. As each new technology becomes available, more bits can migrate off of Flash.
Flash needs to start dying now, so everybody on the sinking ship can start figuring out what they need and solidifying the replacements. It'll have a lingering death scene, so the sooner it starts, the sooner it finishes. If the replacements don't work, they need fixing, without people thinking "oh, I'll just use Flash instead". People need to think "no, it needs to work now, I need to migrate off of Flash as soon as possible".
Ideally, in the next couple of years, we'll get Flash to the point that Java has reached now: an oddity that the occasional legacy site uses.
Sockets are my favourite pro-flash feature. Flash lets you open arbitrary TCP sockets, whereas WebSockets require a HTTP-style header, so to use it with existing servers (irc?) you need to proxy everything.
I realise WebSockets does what it does for security reasons, but i do prefer Flash's method of getting around that (remote server hosts an XML policy file on a separate port) since it doesn't interfere with the connection in any way.
Let me put it this way: I don't have the flash plugin installed, and I can still make use of this functionality perfectly, so apparently they do proper fallbacks.
imgur, for instance, seems to have an excellent HTML5 image uploader and editor.
Partly works now if you don't need much control over it, or if you do work on the server to split the media into chunks. Full streaming support in progress, see WebRTC and other ongoing work.
> socket connections
See WebSocket, which has gone through some initial hiccups but otherwise works fine.
> fast 3d
WebGL provides 3D which runs as fast as the user's system can handle.
> advertising
Don't care. "The web still has ads?" But for the sake of argument: iframe, javascript, arbitrary web content just as capable as any other webpage.
> webcam support, mic support
In progress. http://www.whatwg.org/specs/web-apps/current-work/multipage/...
https://jboriss.wordpress.com/2011/10/19/enabling-real-time-...
And on a related note, https://developer.mozilla.org/en/HTML/Element/input#Image_ca...
> clipboard manipulation
Already exists in JavaScript, just blocked in modern browsers for privacy reasons. Needs to become another grantable permission, like geolocation, but I suspect it just hasn't become prominent enough on the radar yet compared to other features.
> install base
By definition smaller than the install base of web browsers. The proportion continues to decrease as mobile devices become more widespread.
> youtube, rdio, pandora, hulu, kongregate, flickr, imgur, github, googledocs, every site that has ads...
https://www.youtube.com/html5, http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/16/pandora-radios-html5-rede..., github only uses it for the clipboard, never seen flash on flickr, imgur, or google docs, the web still has ads?