Viewing Websites That use Flash on the iPad

Viewing sites that use Flash on the iPad is a frequent frustration for some teachers, not just at RSU57, but all over Maine (at least).  Unfortunately, there are currently no awesome & free solutions.  

The only way to view Flash on the iPad is to use a "flash browser".  After much discussion and comparing notes with other Integrators, I have discovered that there are three, and ONLY three, viable flash browsers.  They are as follows:

Rover - Free, but limited to vendors who "partner" with them.  They pressure you (the user) to pressure the vendor (website owner) to "partner" with them.  So, many popular educational sites which use Flash, cannot be viewed via Rover.  Rover does filter content though.

Puffin - Free for 30 days and then $2.99.  It is eligible for the MLTI volume discount ($1.50).  Puffin does not filter content (but neither does Safari or Google).  Puffin can tend to get very slow when many students are using it at once.

Photon EDU - Currently on sale for $4.99 but not eligible for volume discount.  This one has no limitations that I have heard from anyone.  People using it say that they love it.  It has a back end that can black/white list certain sites.   

If it is not possible to budget for the needed apps, here are some possible workarounds:

1.  Check with the owner of the site you wish to use.  Many Companies are quickly realizing that they are going to lose huge numbers of users if they continue to use Flash, so they either create a html version of their site or develop an App.  It may be that the site owner will soon launch an App.

2.  Find financing from a donor.  some possible donors are donorschoose.org, Local Lions Clubs, or even Walmart may donate iTunes cards to a local school if asked.

3.  Research (or ask me to research) a similar site which does not use Flash.  

While I debated posting an article that does not provide a great solution, the question about Flash on the iPad regularly pops up.  Hopefully, it is helpful to at least have the facts.