Introduction

With the release of Flash 5, Macromedia has positioned Flash as a tool not just for creating interactive and engaging animated Web sites, but also for high-end Web applications. Add to that the integration of Flash and Generator and you can dramatically extend the power of your applications.

The high penetration of Flash into the browser market means that, as designers and developers, we finally have a viable alternative to the standard HTML/DHTML site.

From its June 2001 survey, Macromedia reports that 97 percent of all users browsing the Web now have a version of the Flash player installed. A breakdown based on player version shows the percentage of users who can view the content of the different player versions as this:

• Flash 2: 96 “98 percent

• Flash 3: 93 “96 percent

• Flash 4: 88 “93 percent

• Flash 5: 55 “67 percent

The next survey is scheduled for September 2001. To check the current statistics, visit http://www.macromedia.com/software/player_census/flashplayer/.