Adobe's Poor Assumptions

Several years ago, products that provide real-time performance metrics--SOA management, load balancers and so on--started using Flash to display those metrics. Vendors have moved to Flash to avoid the versioning conflicts of Java applets.

But while testing SOA management products, I found it impossible to download Flash from Adobe's site.

Like many sites that offer downloads of products for multiple platforms, Adobe's tries to determine which OS you're running, and based on that assumption, direct you to the appropriate download page. Unlike many sites, however, Adobe's doesn't let you specify the proper download if it determines your OS incorrectly.

I'm not sure how "Windows 2003 R2" translates into "Mac OS X," but I was directed to the Mac OS X page with no way to get the right version each time I tried to download Flash.

If Adobe wants Flash to become the de facto standard for displaying eye candy, the company must make certain its Web site can identify OSs correctly. So c'mon, Adobe, stop making assumptions. You remember what happens when you assume, don't you?