Wish people would cut Oracle a little slack here, although they really need to improve the Java update process. They could and should learn something from Flash (as depressing as that is to say!)
Ideally java/flash plugins will die quickly, and we can replace them with browser native technology that we can hold the browser manufacturers accountable for.
What we really need is some kind of native virtual machine that can run cross-platform bytecode in the browser.
Someone should make a plugin for this that works with all browsers, it would be genius!
</sarcasm>
(If Oracle improves on the updates, that is, and I'm sure they will, they've got a lot on the roadmap for Java.)
This is a neat idea though!
At some point I'm going to have to bite the bullet and switch everything to HTML5, but applets are failing faster than cross-browser native power is advancing, sadly.
I'm close to being able to do pitch detection in the browser (it's just a question of getting the code polished & integrated into features, not any tech hurdles; it already works), but that'll be toast for at least a few years if I switch.
And I doubt MIDI input will ever be browser-native; I've never even heard whispers about it....
It's a frustrating situation; I just wish it didn't seem like Oracle was so actively hastening the death of the applet.
I don't know why you would think browser native technology will be any more secure. Java and Flash aren't heavily exploited because they're worse than other products - they're exploited because they're ubiquitous. And it's not like we don't have manufacturers to hold accountable here, whatever that means.
Security is hard. It's really, really, really hard to add new functionality without leaving a chink in your security armor. This cycle of 0-day exploits is not going away even when Flash and Java are only discussed in nursing homes.
Maybe you're right, we'll see. That having been said, again, with Chrome's track record, update schedule, update mechanics and more, I'm trusting them a huge factor more than Oracle. Also, keeping in mind that having different implementations across 2-3 major web browsers dampens the effect of having an exploit in one.
Sun JRE install once peddled OpenOffice and Google Toolbar, but at least OO is better than Ask. Ugh.
They need to get rid of this, it's an embarrassment.
He had good booze, but otherwise, sort of an asswipe.
Sent the girl home with a police matron.
I am saddened that Google didn't buy Sun. Maybe they'll buy Oracle and the optical barrier over the valley will dissolve and reveal it is actually a portal into Hell.
I don't think being poor or not matters, Java is a gigantic codebase and throwing money at a team doesn't make them code more efficiently. They are doing moderately well at transitioning.
I believe Google ripped Java off hard, and I believe both the ripping off Java and the suing for it were bad moves. Google should have licensed or bought Java and Oracle should have sold it or open-sourced it.
This is why corporate-owned languages are bad, and why Dalvik isn't really any better in the long run.
The best thing, perhaps, would be if HotSpot and OpenJDK were completely community driven all the way down to the release/update/install process, the way IcedTea is.