[LAD] "bleeding edge html5" has interesting Audio APIs

[Neil C Smith]

David,

With the greatest respect to you, and I have a lot of sympathy with
your ideas of GUI's using browser / JS technology, your comments on
Java are bordering on FUD.  I also don't understand the general
anti-Java diatribe - it's a library, and it has its uses - why treat
it as somehow different to any other library.  It's still the best
performing VM out there.  Once JavaScript allows me to write a single
JIT'ed executable that runs cross-platform; links to JACK on Linux,
Windows and Mac; allows sub-5ms latency; and lets me drop live-coded
fragments into the audio graph - then it gets interesting, but until
then JS is still playing catchup! :-)

On 21 November 2011 01:15, David Robillard <d at drobilla.net> wrote:
> * Most Windows computers do not have Java.

Source???  Last stats I saw showed Java installs not far behind Flash.
 And if you take the "link your own VM" option (which is similar to
the suggestion re. webkit) it's irrelevant anyway.

> * Java is officially deprecated on Mac OS X.

hmm .. Java on Mac is actually looking rosier than it has in a long
time, now that development is taking place officially as part of
OpenJDK.


> * Java will never, ever be available by default on any Microsoft
> platform

That depends - lots of manufacturers install it by default.

> * Java is not included in the default installation of the overwhelming
> majority of free software operating systems

Good!  Too many distros install far too much by default.  It's a
library, it's a dependency, and it's there if it's needed.


> * Java requires software installation of some variety (unless you're
> seriously going to suggest using Java applets in 2011 with a straight
> face...)

Applets?  God, no! :-)  I've no problem with installation though.  As
I said before, I don't necessarily see web-apps as the ultimate way
forward - I personally think the app-store model will hold out because
a) app-stores allow certain companies to keep their walled gardens,
and b) writing for the browser is always going to be writing to the
lowest common denominator.

> * Java recently has acquired a lot of legal questions making it not
> exactly the wisest investment for new technology.

Nothing that affects OpenJDK though.

> * There are many cutting edge modern browser implementations, and
> activity here is moving at an astonishing pace.  Java is a dinosaur.
>

A dinosaur that the others are still trying to catch up with, mind you!

> Regardless, if I may take the liberty of speaking for this community,
> making people use Java for something is a sure-fire way of ensuring they
> don't use it.

And I'll take the liberty of saying I think that's a daft attitude to
have! :-)  If the application performs a function I need, then I'll
consider using it, regardless of what technology underlies it.

Best wishes, Neil

--
Neil C Smith
Artist : Technologist : Adviser
http://neilcsmith.net