One of the big decisions you will need to make during the Publish process (File > Publish) is which Flash Player to choose from the Flash Player Version drop-down menu.
Captivate 5.5 sports three versions of the Flash Player: 9, 10 and 10.2. While the Flash Player 10.3 was released back in May 2011, it is currently not available in the menu.
Which Flash Player should you choose? According to Adobe statistics, Flash Player version 10 and below is in use in 99.2% of the world's mature computer markets (mature markets include the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Japan, Australia and New Zealand). Flash Player version 10.3 is in use in 40.5% of those same markets.
With the numbers above in mind, it make sense to select Flash Player 10 from the Flash Player Version drop-down menu. Right? Not so fast. In my experience, many companies and government agencies are still using Flash Player version 9 (with no plans to upgrade anytime soon).
Learners attempting to open a SWF published to a more recent version of the Player than what is installed on their computer will be unable to view the lesson. While some of those learners will be prompted to download the newer version, they may or may not be able to actually install the current Player (depending on their admin rights). In other cases, learners using an older version of the Player will simply see a blank, white page. Ouch!
During my Captivate classes, I encourage students to play it safe when it comes to the Flash Player Version and select one full version lower than what is offered. By selecting an older version of the Player, users who have the newer version of the Flash Player will still be able to consume your content, as well as those with the older version of the Player.
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