What is Flash?
Flash is a system that allows people to run animations and dynamic presentations on the web.
Usually, web pages are 'static' (ie there is very little movement on the page) and can be compared to the pages of a magazine.
Pages developed using Flash can better be compared to animations or films because the content can be presented in a time-based format.
This is why Flash presentations are often referred to as 'movies'.
What is the Flash player?
The Flash player is a free accessory (referred to as a 'plug-in') that allows the user to view Flash movies.
If you try to view the movie without the player, then the Flash presentation will not show and you will probably get a message telling you that you need to download the player.
How do I get the Flash player?
It is very likely that you will already have the Flash player installed on your computer since it is automatically provided with many of the more recent browsers.
If you cannot see Flash movies then you will need to download the player from the Macromedia web site.
The download will take a minute or two over a 56k modem and can be used as soon as download is complete. The player only needs to be installed once.
What should I do if I have problems with the installation?
If you do have any problems with downloading the Flash player, then you can get help from the Macromedia web site.
Please note that we do not endorse or provide support for the Flash player product.