Sun: We’re still gunning for Java (JVM) on the Apple iPhone
By Will Park on Saturday, May 3rd, 2008 at 6:48 PM PST In Announcements, Apple, Developer, iPhone, iPhone OS
Call them what you want, but you can’t call Sun Microsystems (NSDQ: JAVA) a bunch of quitters. They are a persistent lot. Even after Apple (NSDQ: AAPL)’s announcement that they don’t want Java on the iPhone, Sun is pushing to get Apple to agree to letting the iPhone play nice with a Java JVM (Java Virtual Machine).
“We’ve expressed our intent to do this and our desire, really, to work with Apple to build a JVM (Java Virtual Machine) for the iPhone and we’re sort of moving forward with that,” said Eric Klein, Sun vice president of Java marketing. The JVM would allow the iPhone to run Java applications, but could also be used to circumvent Apple’s AppStore application distribution platform, cutting them out of the revenue channel – obviously not something that Apple wants.
For what it’s worth, there will most likely be a flood of third-party applications developed using the iPhone SDK once Apples goes live with the AppStore. And, with Innaworks’ alcheMo application allowing Java developers to port their Java applications to the iPhone (converting Java apps into iPhone native apps), there’s likely to be little benefit to having Java on the iPhone – there are probably some out there that would even go as far as to say that Java on the iPhone would be detrimental. Still, there’s nothing like having the freedom to choose what you want to do with your own device. So, in the name of “freedom,” let’s hope Sun gets the go ahead from Apple.
[Via: DigitalArts]
Java is just sloooow. This is why Apple wouldn’t want it. Look at SPSS v16.0.2 on Mac. It is slow because Java is slow, because the Mac computer is far faster at anything else. Java doesn’t even allow you to use standard features of the OS, it’s just pathetic.
Java was sold to developers as a “write-once, deploy anywhere” solution. It relies on a “Java virtual machine” being installed on each target platform. That’s great for lazy developers, I suppose, but it sucks for end users. No matter the platform, Java apps feel like the 2nd-class citizens they are. The UI is sluggish and odd. Apple is right to try to keep this substandard user experience far away from the iPhone.
Apple knows their market, and it doesn’t include people want the “freedom” to wallow in crappy software. Let them buy competing phones and stop trying to drag the iPhone down to their level.
In the name of “freedom” I waant to drive on the left side of the road. I assume your support!
I feel Java should have the go ahead to put apps on the iphone. Java apps may not be all that but there are still some out there that would like a couple of them. Plus the iphone isn’t some god on a pedistal! It’s not like its the greatest phone to ever be released, which in my opinion is the stupidest thing a person could think. So with all that said… “GIVE JAVA THEIR FREEDOM!!”
Java is slow on mac, because of apple. Not because Java is a slow language…
Android uses Java just fine…