Apple takes Java to the next level with the latest, certified release of the Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition, version 1.4.1 for Mac OS X. This release incorporates over 60% more features than the previous release, 1.3.1. Improvements include support for new native I/O, XML and Web Services technologies, more security APIs, Unicode 3.0 support and more.
Java 1.4.1 Final for Mac OS X Released
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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“Apple developed an innovative new technology that allows Java code to be shared across multiple applications. This reduces the amount of memory that Java applications normally use. And it fits right into Sun’s Hot Spot VM, allowing Mac OS X to remain compatible with standard Java. In addition, Apple has given this implementation to Sun so the company can deploy it on other platforms. Just one example of how Apple supports standards and shares ideas to benefit all.”
I have always hated the amount of memory java apps suck up. It is nice that this code was given back to the java community.
Will this improve performance with Java apps like JBuilder that brought my Mac to it’s knees in under 5 seconds?
Dunno, but it will let you run v8
It probably brings your Mac to it’s knees in only 3 seconds now 🙂
Or kills your battery life: 😉
http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=2003030709383014
hehe…
The release note states that AWT and SWING implementation are now based on Cocoa (it used Carbon in the previous version). The notes states “This change brings a true multithreaded environment and enhancements to the Aqua look and feel.” I’m glad they made the transition. Its also a good news for the Cocoa community.
Back in the 1997-2000 period, the Mac [OS 9] Runtime for Java (MRJ) was lagging several point releases and I don’t think they ever released an equivalent to JDK 1.2. MRJ also had tons of bugs mostly related to the AWT and threads.
It did have some good things though: JBindery for example, allowed you to create a double-clickable application without having to write batch or shell scripts like in Windows and Unix respectively.
I remember when Java on MacOS was so awefull it wasn’t even funny.
Neurondata I think it was called, one of the reasons I went to Windows for more interesting dev tools. VisualCafe was amongst them, but wasn’t that on Mac later? Then all my tools dissapeared on Windows too, Supercede/VisualCafe/Visual J++ etc.
Question if aanyone can answer
Is Eclipse/SWT on OSX a possibility?
Are there any native Java ppc compilers?
ok SWT depends on the NATIVE widget set so on MacOS X that is the Cocoa bindings – this is what makes it faster than the SWING wich is rendered entirely in Java although Apple seem to be very confusing over this….
SWT hackers (I always smile when I thinkof an IBM employee with a Apple Laptop) are doing peers for Cocoa so short answer is YES
although it might not be IBM it is after all open source
GCJ I belive can run on darwin its up to you to sort the Libs though (-;
(good luck simple cmd line is possible but complex thigs need complex solutions and they are hard to setup right)
you can use java and compile against the Native Libs use the apple tools but this is differant API but it JUST WORKS which is nice
regards
John Jones
I’m very happy this was released. Now I can develope using the NIO libraries, which are essential to my application. Discover the jobs of non-blocking i/o.
SWT and Eclipse work on OS X. I downloaded a build last week for OS X proper (not GTK+), but haven’t had the chance to try it out yet, so I cannot vouch for it’s quality.
Eugenia: That battery problem supposedly has to do with 10.2.4, not Java.
i just went to apple’s website, and i can’t see any of the images.
i’m using mozilla 1.21 under redhat.
other sites are fine.
(i wanted to window shop a little)
I have written several accounts/white papers/articles on
thread scheduling in several JVM implementations, including
many of Sun’s own. Apple has consistently and most linearly
applied true Java Thread scheduling in their JVMs.
Linux JVMs don’t distinguish priority at all, Windows are
plain broken and completely inconsistent, Sun’s though in
fact the JVM does seem to implement them, do not actually
perform a whole lot differently than that of Linux. IBM
on AIX seems identical to that of Sun’s, though I have not
had the chance to test a 400 | 390 system. Kudo’s to Apple
for at least truly attempting to implement Thread scheduling
properly.
This is really one of the major problems of java. Whenever you start a new java process, it JITes all the base libraries anew. This is the reason java programs have those really dreadful startup times and large memory consumption. I was hoping for a shared memory vm when 1.4 came out, but it seems I will have to wait for 1.5 (or use .NET).
Apple really has a better VM than sun as of now.
It did have some good things though: JBindery for example, allowed you to create a double-clickable application without having to write batch or shell scripts like in Windows and Unix respectively.
You can still do this, and it works on Windows and MacOS X. All you need is a Manifest-file in the jar archive telling the runtime about the main class. IIRC JBuilder can do that for you.
I installed Java 1.4.1 via software update and now wish I had not. Java quotes at island.com worked great with Safari before Java 1.41, now they are all garbled. Is there a way to remove Java 1.41 without wiping the drive clean?
Beware to all who install 1.41. Your Safari may not work right afterwards.
Michael
>i just went to apple’s website, and
>i can’t see any of the images.
>
> i’m using mozilla 1.21 under redhat.
>
> other sites are fine.
>
> (i wanted to window shop a little)
Apple uses Akamai’s dynamic DNS and geographic caching service to deliver their images and media objects. Most likely you are having a DNS issue. Try right clicking on an image and bring up the properties of an image to verify and troubleshoot. Also, try using wget or some other Web client…
-Michael
It works with beta 64.
There is a new tool (at Apple’s developer site) named Jar Bundler that makes jars double-clickable, lets you specify an icon, the main class, jvm options (like heap size etc.)
Stew, Markus: thanks for your input. I haven’t done any stand-alone applications in Java in the last 3 years (only doing server-side stuff these days). It’s nice to see how Java application development has improved on all platforms.
I have no problem with island.com with safari (V60). Probably its not the new java
i hope they’ve added multi-button support. i’m sick and tired of having to remove all “getButton()”-methods so that i can compile other people’s sources
in fact, as thomas mentioned it is not the new java. island’s bookviewer works without issue with the last _released_ version of safari (v60 in case you have forgotten) — perhaps you need to download it again: http://www.apple.com/safari/download/
:0)