Java 6 and Mac OS X 10.5
I'm fairly confident that Apple will be posting a download of Java 6 shortly. One of the MRJ developers gave a talk at Desktop Matters, and Java 6 is definitely being worked on. But I feel compelled to dispute a recent post on John Gruber's blog:Apple’s decision to abandon (or postpone, for all we know) work on Java 6 was easy. Some of the most important software for the Mac depends on Carbon. No important software for the Mac depends on Java.
Gruber forgets about in-house software, such as the footwear development app I worked on when I was at Nike. One of the major barriers to Mac adoption in business is the dependencies of custom apps. If custom apps are written in Java (which they usually are), and if the Mac has a modern JVM (which it will soon), it's easier to get a MacBook for work.
He also forgets about server-side software. Java is a popular platform for webapps like Amazon.com and the Apple Store. Without a modern JVM, the apps cannot be developed or deployed on a Mac.
If the Mac is to remain exclusively a consumer device, Java isn't that important. But to make inroads into the office and the server room, Java for Mac needs to be a priority for both Sun and Apple.
