Forget Microsoft's Java!

Why use a product a company is not committed to?

When Microsoft shipped XP without the usual Java Virtual Machine simply out of spite and put consumers to a lot of trouble for petty reasons - I went straight to Sun's site and downloaded their Java Virtual Machine. Microsoft finally made it available and put it in Service Pack 1 and look what happened! If you're having trouble just downloading the patch - you can always do the same thing I did. Just disable Microsoft's Java and download Sun's. Sun Microsystems is truly committed to the product anyway (they developed Java in the first place) and are not hostile toward it and providing it grudgingly like Microsoft. You can get it at:
http://java.sun.com/getjava/download.html

By the way, Sun is miles ahead of Microsoft in Java technology and you'll be fixed up with the latest and greatest - ready for the future with Java 2. It's also available for Netscape, Mozilla, Linux, Mac 8,9 and X.

Have a good weekend!!

John
Luv2BSecure

 

John Thank you for this important alternative.

BTW, if you don't mind, please verify how one disables the MS Java. I went to:

Tools

Internet Options

Advanced

and noted under Microsoft VM

I have:

JIT compiler for virtual machine enabled

checked

If I uncheck this does this disable MS java? If not, please explain the steps to disable MS java.

Also those wishing to explore this alternative may need to check back: this is the message I got when I attempted to download Sun's JRE (JAVA RUNTIME ENVIRONMENT):

The page you have requested resides on a server that is down for maintenance, please try back after 5:30 P.M. Pacific Time today.

Also John are there any issues we need to know about re: compatibility, performance, or other? Runs on all windows platforms?

Sounds like you are satisfied with the Sun Java product. Sounds like a winner to me on the face of it.

___________________________________

I found the answer to system requirements for Sun java2:

System Requirements
The JavaTM 2 Runtime Environment is supported on Microsoft Windows 98 (1st or 2nd edition), Windows NT 4.0 with with Service Pack 5 or later, Windows ME, Windows XP, Windows 2000 with Service Pack 2 or later, running on Intel hardware. In non-English locales, the only edition of Microsoft Windows 2000 tested with this release is the Professional edition.


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Trying to install the Java 2 Runtime Environment on a non-supported version of Microsoft Windows or on a machine that doesn't have a sufficiently up-to-date Service Pack will cause the installer to generate this warning: "We recommend that you do not install this Java(TM) Platform for the following reasons: This Java(TM) Platform does not support the operating system or operating-system service pack on this machine."

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A Pentium 166MHz or faster processor with at least 32 megabytes of physical RAM is required to run graphically based applications. Forty-eight megabytes of RAM is recommended for applets running within a browser using the Java Plug-in product. Running with less memory may cause disk swapping which has a severe effect on performance. Very large programs may require more RAM for adequate performance.

You should have 40 megabytes of free disk space before attempting to install the Java 2 Runtime Environment.

http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.1/jre/install-windows.html

 

Hi there! To answer your questions......

The Java 2 Runtime Environment is exactly what you need. The actual Sun "Java Virtual Machine" is relatively new. They released that after XP came out without the standard Microsoft JVM. You can get either. http://www.internetweek.com/story/INW20011106S0003 Either one will work. I actually use the JV2 JRE (Runtime Environment) it comes with a console that allows you to do some pretty cool things - and heck - it's free!

As for the Microsoft JVM - it's old and very cranky. The JVM that was put in the XP Service Pak was written in 1997 and based on version 1.1.4 of Java. While SUN is MILES ahead in Java technology. Microsoft even says they don't plan to support it in the future when they announced they were reluctantly including JVM in the XP Service Pack. Talk about eye-opening:
http://news.com.com/2100-1001-937053.html

I called a friend that is the true techie and he said actually disabling MS Java settings is not necessary, even if you had it on your computer because it asks which one you want to use.

As for performance - there's far more performance problems with the MS Java than with Sun's Java because web design is more and more supporting things Java-wise than MS JVM can render with such old technology.

Sun's Java is available for every platform/browser imaginable. Just download the one for Windows if you're an XP user and you are set up!

If you have an older computer that had no support for Java period and a Service Pack to support it was never installed - don't even bother. You can't have it with either MS or Sun. But, as you noted, Sun warns you of that prior to download.

The one thing you posted from their site that is strange is where it says "running on Intel hardware." I am running a Athlon XP +1800 and know many people with Sun's Java running AMD. Maybe that isn't even what they meant. That one I can't answer.

In my mind, there's no question which one to use. Like I said, SUN encourages people running MS JVM to download THEIR Java for full, cutting edge Java performance. Some of which you wouldn't notice - except you know it looks really good.

Have a great weekend!
John
Luv2BSecure

 

Hi luv2bsecure,

I agree of course JVM is safer than Microsoft VM but there are some issues. For instance, some enterprises use proprietary apps : I cannot get in touch with my bank with
the JVM, I must use Microsoft VM, sad enough.

So I run Opera without Java most of the time and IE6SP1 when I cannot do without for some sites.

Cheers,

 

Thanks for that info, Jack! I didn't know that and that's certainly a consideration for some.

John
Luv2BSecure