21 Nov
2011
21 Nov
'11
11:36 a.m.
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(a)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