14 DAY TRIAL // Adobe Systems has released a new version of its Shockwave multimedia player for Mac OS X. Adobe claims Shockwave is becoming the Web standard for powerful multimedia playback, allowing Mac users to view both Shockwave and Flash interactions over the Web.
“Over 450 million Internet-enabled desktops have installed Adobe Shockwave Player,” Adobe says. “These people now have access to some of the best the Web has to offer – including dazzling 3D games and entertainment, interactive product demonstrations, and online learning applications. Shockwave Player displays Web content that has been created by Adobe Director.”
On the Windows side, the Shockwave player is compatible with the web browsers, including Netscape Navigator, and Microsoft Internet Explorer, while Mac users looking to benefit from the media player need Safari 2.0 or newer. Additional requirements include a PowerPC G3, G4, G5 or Intel processor, and 512MB of RAM.
The latest version of the software, Adobe Shockwave Player 11.5.0.596, has native Intel Mac support, as well as support for Director 11, according to the changelog. The Adobe Shockwave 11.5 Installer requires all web browsers to be shut down prior to installation. An administrator password will also be required for installation. As for uninstalling the player, before beginning, users need to exit all other applications, including web browsers. Open web browsers will be automatically closed by the uninstaller. The current version of Adobe Shockwave Player is compatible with Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger.
For those who are not very familiar with the software, Flash and Shockwave Players are both free web players from Adobe. Together, they bring Mac owners rich media content on the Internet. Each has a distinct purpose. Flash Player delivers fast loading front-end web applications, high-impact website user interaction, interactive online advertising, and short to medium form animation. The player displays destination web content, including interactive multimedia product demos and training, e-merchandising applications, and rich-media multi-user games. Through Xtras, Shockwave Player is also extendable to playback custom-built applications.