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lwalter · May 31, 2001, 03:47 PM

Java 2 1.4 beta was released by Sun for.... Windows, Linux and Solaris, but nothing for OS X!
Apple has just caught up Java versions by releasing Java 2 1.3 for OS X, while this JDK 1.3 had already been available for months on other platforms, and now, Java on OS X is already behind Windows, Solaris and even Linux platforms again.
What does it mean? that Sun doesn't care about Java on OS X? that Apple doesn't care about Java?
I'm a little confused on the subject "Java on Macintosh".

AirSluf · May 31, 2001, 04:14 PM

Java 1.4 beta only came out this past week. I wouldn't consider not having an X beta yet the end of the world. The only reason Solaris has the 1.4 beta is because Sun owns the hardware and it was probably developed on that. The Windows version is the default because of market share and a complete distrust of M$ to implement it themselves in a proper manner. With working Linux and Solaris versions, the port to X isn't as large an undertaking as it used to be to support OS 9.

If we don't have a 1.4 version by full release, THAT would be a problem.

lwalter · May 31, 2001, 04:26 PM

Sure, it's only the beta version.
Sure, Solaris is Sun's OS. So it's normal to have it first on this platform.
Sure, Windows is important to Sun because there are so many Java developers on this platform.
Sure??? Linux is so important to have a beta out at the same time as Solaris and Windows but not OS X?
Why do people with Macs always have to wait and be the last one for Java versions? I thought Mac OS X was "the perfect Java development platform"...
Sorry for thinking that... but I doubt it.

mccullocht · May 31, 2001, 04:40 PM

I think you're missing the point. Sun maintains the *official* JVM for Solaris, Linux, and Win32. M$ also had a JVM, but they got the smackdown on it for extending the core APIs w/proprietary extensions. Apple maintains the official JVM for MacOS (ie MRJ and Java2 for Mac OS X), so we won't be seeing a Java2 1.4 beta for OS X until *Apple* makes it. So don't go assigning blame in the wrong places. Plus, I'd rather see Apple finish some parts of their JVM (like the OpenGL implementation for Swing!) than put out yet more beta software.

MadBrowser · May 31, 2001, 07:12 PM

Work is underway to port 1.4...

Apple will most likely have the first port available...

There are quite a few changes between Sun's 1.3 and Apple's. Apple actually added a whole code-sharing segment that Sun is considering back-porting into the rest of the codebase.

SmileyDude · Jun 3, 2001, 02:21 PM

Originally posted by MadBrowser
:
<STRONG>Work is underway to port 1.4...

Apple will most likely have the first port available...

There are quite a few changes between Sun's 1.3 and Apple's. Apple actually added a whole code-sharing segment that Sun is considering back-porting into the rest of the codebase.</STRONG>

Could you possibly explain this code-sharing segment? What does it add, what does it do, etc, etc, etc... just very curious...

MadBrowser · Jun 3, 2001, 03:56 PM

I know very little about it... I think it allows the JVM to load jar files once and use them across applications, kind of like a shared library.

Kristoff · Jun 12, 2001, 11:15 PM

From what I understand, it reduces memory consumption by allowing multiple applications running in the same JVM to share meta-data about objects that are typically created for each object per application instance. They mentioned it at JavaOne, but it was during the second-to-last day of a very looooong week, and to be honest it was one of those "oh, cool" things that will be transparent to the developer/user so I didn't devote much of my NVRAM (brain) to remembering the details. However, I think it demonstrates Apple's commitment to making Java kick ass on OS X, and I commend them for their efforts. Thanks Apple Java guys!