On 28 Okt., 20:42, Rob Ross <[email protected]> wrote: > If that's the case, exactly *what* threat does Java currently pose for the > consumer desktop, specifically Apple's desktop?
I can think of three more reasons why Apple doesn't like platforms like Java or Flash - please correct me if I'm wrong here. Firstly, the next Mac OS X version Lion will contain new features that Apple wants developers to use - such as "built-in full screen mode" (http://www.apple.com/macosx/lion/) and "app resume" (http:// modmyi.com/forums/iphone-news/734498-app-resume-lion-never-quit- program-again.html); more will probably come. Arguably, this is major desktop OS innovation after years of stagnation - from a desktop developer's point of view, Windows / OS X mostly just exchanged one UI / persistence / messaging layer with another for the last decade. I mean iOS apps can do things that OS X applications can't (in-app email, map manipulation with MapKit, Game Center social network for gaming) - but I guess this is the whole point of Mac OS X "Back to the Mac" Lion. Those OS X features probably won't find their way into Java/Flash anytime soon, if at all. Secondly, OS X and iOS have always had great accessibility for blind and visually impaired users built-in for free (http://www.apple.com/ accessibility/). For a euphoric review of an iPhone by a blind person (admittedly an Apple fan), check out http://behindthecurtain.us/2010/06/12/my-first-week-with-the-iphone (money quote: "I consider it the greatest thing to happen to the blind for a very long time, possibly ever."). He later bought an iMac (http://behindthecurtain.us/2010/09/11/rejoining-the-apple-family; both through Daring Fireball - http://daringfireball.net/linked/2010/09/19/seraphin). OS X/iOS can read to you what's on the screen or output it to braille displays - text, buttons, charts and more. I think Flash/Java don't use only native OS X APIs for their UIs, so their apps aren't (fully) accessible. Finally, Apple's AirPlay protocol streams audio from the Mac to AirPlay devices. Soon, a number of consumer audio companies will build receivers, speakers and such with AirPlay (http://www.apple.com/ itunes/airplay/). Come November, all iOS 4.2 devices can stream audio through AirPlay and even stream video to the new Apple TV (I think AirPlay is built into the media player APIs). I assume OS X will support video streaming, too (at least later). Again, unless Java/ Flash only use Apple's APIs with supported media formats (H.264, AAC, MP3 and so on), they won't work with AirPlay. AirPlay makes Apple's fight against the Flash video reign on the web even more relevant (they seem to be winning: http://blog.mefeedia.com/html5-oct-2010). -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Java Posse" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en.
