This Story Posted:
February 15th

 
 

[2:05 PM]
Apple Updates Java For The Mac/One Feature May Bring Controversy
Apple has updated Java for the Mac with the release of MRJ 2.1. Apple says that the new release of MRJ is up to 5 times faster than previous versions of MRJ. Apple has designed it to run real world Java applications, according to Avie Tevanian, Apple's senior vice-president of Software Engineering who cited Java developers such as Autodesk, Oracle, SCT, and Zero G Software as makers of applications that MRJ 2.1 supports. In addition, Apple says MRJ 2.1 includes the following features:
  • Symantec's high-performance Just In Time (JIT) compiler for Java, as well as enhanced graphics, imaging, threading and networking performance which make MRJ 2.1 up to five times faster than its predecessors.
  • Compliance with Sun's JDK version 1.1.6, bringing new Java features to Mac OS and maximum Java compatibility with the current generation of Java applications.
  • AppleScript support, enabling Java applets to work with other AppleScript applications.
  • Support for QuickTime for Java, which will be in the next release of QuickTime.
  • Support for Swing, a user interface toolkit which brings the Macintosh "look and feel" to Java applications.

Mac OS Runtime for Java 2.1 requires a PowerPC-based Apple Macintosh computer, Mac OS 7.6.1 or later, and at least 32 MB of RAM. The update is available as a free download from Apple's web site.

The Mac Observer Spin: This is great news for the Mac platform. As any Mac user who has run a Java application or even a Java applet knows, Java has stunk on our platform since its introduction. This release takes a major step towards making the Mac the premier Java platform on the market.

Here's the burning question though. There is one key feature of MRJ 2.1 that screams out controversy and that is support for AppleScript in Java based apps. To quote Apple's press release for this release:

"MRJ 2.1 is based on Java Development Kit (JDK) 1.1.6 from Sun Microsystems, and allows Macintosh developers to extend the capabilities of Java applications by coupling them with core Apple technologies like QuickTime and AppleScript."

Is adding support for AppleScript, a "core Apple technology," to MRJ 2.1 the very type of thing that Microsoft did with their implementation of Java on Windows? Allowing programmers to tap into OS specific features is certainly not a 100% Pure Java concept. Note that the version of QuickTime being referred to is QuickTime for Java which will be included in the next release of QuickTime. This will not be a feature tied to an OS, but will require QuickTime for JAva to be installed on the client machine. No problems there.

Now, it is certainly a fact that Apple has proven that it knows what it is doing since the return of Steve Jobs and this is likely the case with this issue. We called both the Sun Corporation and Apple to find out if MRJ 2.1 is compliant with Apple's Java license but both companies are closed for Presidents Day. We turn to our Observers once again and seek an explanation from developers (Java, Mac, and Windows developers) on this subject. Is Apple polluting Java by adding in a feature that will run only on a Mac? We are hoping that this is not the case lest Apple find itself in the same court that Microsoft did with Sun. Write us and let us know.

Apple - Sun Corporation