I could not agree with the author on the "Flex" product. I am both a Java and Flash programmer for years. I have develop software using Flex. The result is very disappointing. That product is handicapped that it could not acheive the same effect of Flash even with the same code. I like Flash but I really hate Flex. For any serious developer, I would advice you to use Flash directly, Java or even .Net (Expression) to replace Flex. Seriously.

I don't think its really necessary to change the consumer portion of the framework just to change the developer perceptions. The developers will read about the changes in Flash or see them in conventions and bring them back to their respective businesses. We don't need to confuse the downloading public with the details of our world. Word has a way of getting around. Our team is already contemplating a complete rewrite of our site in Flash and it hasn't even been released yet.

With the emerging of the Flash Platform, it should be re-brand the Flash Player to something like Flash VM or Flash Engine to better describe the potential power of Flash and Flex technologies.
I am expecting the launch of Apollo project and hence I think it is necessary to re-brand the Flash Player to match the upcoming universal client.

As a Linux user, Flash is the bane of my life. Not because Flash isn't supported on Linux, but because it IS supported, and supported very very badly. When I'm surfing the web on my home computer if I come to a site that has Flash more than half the time the browser crashes. You cannot imagine how frustrating this is. To give just ONE example my wife wants to print off recipes from the Food Network site, which has Flash advertisements. What I have to do to accomplish this in Linux is to use dillo, a very minimal browser that does not support Flash, JavaScript, or printing. I use dillo to open the printer-friendly version of the recipe, then copy that URL to Mozilla and print it out.

I have tried uninstalling Flash and installing the latest Flash from the website. Basically none of this works. The browser crashes when it encounters Flash. This affects every browser that supports Flash in Linux.

With so many websites using this abomination I now have a home network with a second computer running Windows ME and printer sharing using Samba.

In sumnmary, Flash seems to need debugging more than rebranding.

Many of us already are well aware that Flash is 'not a toy'. In the last 2-3 years the (large) organisation where I work has adopted a 'Java or Flash' policy for writing apps that will be delivered via a browser, with development teams being free to choose the best tool for the job. In 90% of cases Flash is now being chosen and I expect that to rise to closer to 100% in the next year. In short, no rebranding is required, Flash has already won this battle in the minds of many of us.

Many of us already are well aware that Flash is 'not a toy'. In the last 2-3 years the (large) organisation where I work has adopted a 'Java or Flash' policy for writing apps that will be delivered via a browser, with development teams being free to choose the best tool for the job. In 90% of cases Flash is now being chosen and I expect that to rise to closer to 100% in the next year. In short, no rebranding is required, Flash has already won this battle in the minds of many of us.

To change this perception, Adobe should modify the name of the Flash Player to something like Flash VM or Flash Player VM. Their marketing department should find a way to add these two letters to all product brochures and other advertisements. It won't happen overnight, but people need to start getting used to the fact that it's not a toy, but a VM that plays a role similar to Java, offers an easy integration with Java, and is also a cross-platform programming environment.