Re: The Joy of Java

[Hal <hfinney@shell.portal.com>]

Unfortunately in order to run Java applications it is necessary to have
the Java interpreter for your host.  You may also have to set up
various scripts or filetype assignments so that java files can be
easily and automatically run by that interpreter.  Right now the Java
interpreter is not (AFAIK) available separately, but only as part of
the Java Development Kit (which is free, but is a big package).  So
generally the infrastructure is not really there for Java applications
to be easily downloaded and run by end users.  The attraction with
applets is that if you have a recent version of Netscape and a 32 bit
OS you are already set up to run them (whether you like it or not, for
probably the majority of end users).

Also those security and safety features which exist for applets (buggy as
they may be at this time) don't exist at all for applications.  Java
applications can delete or modify files, make arbitrary net connections,
etc.  So certainly more care must be taken in choosing to download and
run a Java application than an applet, comparable to what is necessary
when you download and run a new PC application program.  Signed binaries
are probably again the way to go here.

Hal