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Java and the Mac: Does anybody care?
Despite outnumbering Sun's user base by at least an order of magnitude, Mac users haven't been treated as a high priority within the Java community
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Yet Apple still boasts millions of loyal customers -- people who plug into the Internet more than PC users, on average, and who by their mere decision to invest in Macs indicate a willingness to look beyond the lowest common denominator in search of better solutions.
If JavaWorld reader letters and subscription comments are any indication, a significant mass of Apple customers are paying attention to Java, but -- sadly -- the Java community doesn't seem to be returning the favor. Development of the Java Development Kit and Java-enabled browsers for the Mac lags significantly behind that for Windows 95; Sun rightly supports its own OS to keep its current customer base happy, but (Mac-specific porting challenges notwithstanding) has not given equal attention to the Mac customer base -- despite the fact that there are a few dozen Mac users for every one Solaris user. Indeed, if Java truly is to become as ubiquitous as Sun hopes, the Mac may be a more important stepping stone than Solaris.
The apparent second-class treatment of the Mac by the Java community seems ironic, considering that Sun bid on Apple only months ago, and that Sun's already signed a broad licensing agreement with arch-rival Microsoft.
Bad Apple?
But perhaps Apple is at fault here, too. After all, the company has a legacy of protecting its proprietary technologies and is only slowly breaking this mold. While nearly every other major computer company has licensed Java or is otherwise seriously pursuing use of Java, little public activity of this sort is apparent at Apple, which hasn't indicated any licensing plans.
Yet it may be Apple more than any other computer vendor who stands to gain from Java, for if Java fulfills its potential, users will be able to get any application they want, regardless of which platform they use. Developers who now shy away from the Mac in favor of the larger Windows user base will adopt Java's broader user base, and thus again develop apps (this time Java apps) that run on the Mac. For Apple, Java could prove to be a powerful equalizer.
A bold step by Apple to embrace Java by incorporating into the Mac operating system might be just what the doctor ordered. At minimum, Apple should recognize the potential blessing Java offers and become a licensee. Heck, even Novell has licensed Java! (On the flipside, perhaps Sun should consider licensing the MacOS. But that's another story.)
Mac users, take heart
Remember, Mac users, that Java applets will run on the Mac. In design, if nothing else, Java is Mac-friendly.
Remember too that the immense Windows 3.1 user base also has not been treated well by the Java community. IBM is trying to address this environment, but Java-related Mac development surpasses Windows 3.1 development to date. The point: It could be worse.
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