[4080] in java-interest
Re: Java and Hotjava
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Fumihiko \"Miko\" Matsumura)
Sat Dec 9 14:32:33 1995
Date: Sat, 9 Dec 1995 09:58:33 -0800 (PST)
From: "Fumihiko \"Miko\" Matsumura" <miko@well.com>
To: tahmed <tahmed@on.bell.ca>
cc: Jonathan_Mark_Smith@CCMAIL.PRUSEC.COM, java-interest@java.sun.com
In-Reply-To: <Pine.HPP.3.91.951208233733.646A-100000@tasha.sa.on.bell.ca>
I just want to try to clarify a little bit according to my understanding:
> > If Hotjava was made with Java
> >
> > Would it take once day to get the Hotjava
> > browser up to beta???
Actually, the HotJava Alpha compiler was released as a demonstration of
java's power. Arthur Van Hoff is busy rewriting the thing from the ground
up to support Beta and doing it right this time. He's a good programmer,
and we all can look forward to an amazing browser.
> I'm actually pretty disgusted with what's going on with Java.
> Java is awesome, but it's such a stupid mess at the moment. There's
> no bloody solid broswer to test java code with, the confusion between the
> alpha and beta version of the language. Everything should be stablized
> before releasing it. It's all so premature.
That's exactly the point. Java is not a released product! I think it
would be best for everyone to either 1) write beta code, warts and all
or 2) wait for the release version. Seriously, the word "beta" means that
it's not perfect. I'm not trying to be a SUN apologist or anything, but
I'm in favor of SUN releasing as much new technology as quickly as they
can--and if it's ugly, I'd better wait until the actual released product.
> Sun could port the javac
> binaries to all the UNIX platforms in a week. For crying out loud, Sun
> has muscle, and it's not as if the java compiler produces executeable code.
> They're playing games.
Having visited the Java team down in Palo Alto, I can assure you that
they are not playing games. They are admittedly understaffed (I encourage
people in this list to check out http://java.sun.com/openings.html and
apply for any of the new postitions on the java team) and
are all working 80 hours a week to create a good thing for all of us.
The transition from alpha to beta broke my applets too. And I was
confused to find no hotjava for beta. But I dont blame the java team.
Another distinction that I want to make is (Java_team != SUN) evaluates
to true. I dont want anyone out there who hasn't been down to visit them
to think that the whole of SUN Microsystems is behind the java team.
True, all of the java team are SUN employees, but if there's a fault, it
might only be that the "rest of SUN" is not moving quickly enough to
support these innovators.
I would also like to see the javac binaries ported to other systems. My
main machine is an HP! But the source codes are publically available, so
I think any member of the Internet community is free to port it to any
system they want.
I didnt intend to write such a long post. Since I have visited the java
team, I know that they are not playing any games, and they are really
working their hardest to keep the "disgust" level to a minimum. I think
they deserve some thanks, frankly.
Please post replies to this message
back to me, NOT to the list. I'd rather have list traffic dedicated to
the important task of implementing java than anything else. On the other
hand, if you have some constructive criticism, I'd be glad to add my
voice to yours next time I'm down at the PAL II building talking to them.
Miko Matsumura
Java engineer
HotWired
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