Sun continues working on Java for Apple iPhone, iPod touch

“Sun continues to pursue talks with Apple Computer to have Java applications run on Apple’s iPhone while acknowledging a third party’s efforts toward the same goal,” Paul Krill reports for Digital Arts,” Krill reports.

“‘We’ve expressed our intent to do this and our desire, really, to work with Apple to build a JVM (Java Virtual Machine) for the iPhone and we’re sort of moving forward with that,’ said Eric Klein, Sun vice president of Java marketing, this week. The JVM could run Java applications,” Krill reports.

“Apple has not been publicly receptive to having Java on its popular new device. There have been questions about whether Apple’s iPhone SDK agreement would permit this. The JVM potentially could sidestep Apple’s App Store program for dispensing iPhone applications,” Krill reports. “Meanwhile, Sun also is working with Innaworks to bring Java applications to the iPhone.”

Krill reports, “Apple declined to provide a spokesperson to comment on the issue.”

More in the full article here.

45 Comments

  1. No fsking Java please. Time to break this in half forever over Apple’s knee.

    Java and Flash are the bane of the world. They ensure the worst possible experience on a mobile device. Knife the baby N-O-W.

    Steve, thank you for protecting our user experience!

  2. I bet the conversation went a bit like this–
    Sun: PLEEEASE, oh god, I’m down on my knees… <grovel, grovel>
    Apple: <nothing>

    Didn’t Sun go public that Apple’s next version of OS X would have some kind of HD or filesystem format, and when Apple released it, it didn’t, leaving Sun looking kind of stupid…?

    You’d think they’d learn not to go public until Apple goes public… Apple doesn’t work with companies who can’t have private talks and keep them that way…

  3. “To work with Apple to build a JVM (Java Virtual Machine) for the iPhone and we’re sort of moving forward with that.”

    Just ‘sort of’.

    That’s a really positive ‘maybe’.

  4. Good news guys. The Java installation will be OPTIONAL. Just because it’s out there doesn’t mean you have to have it. (Unlike Pokemon.) ” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />

  5. Sun is so far behind in their development of an up-to-date JVM for the Mac OS X. Maybe if they were better with that, I could believe them when they’re talking about a JVM for the iPhone.

    In the meantime, ho hum, maybe they should concentrate their efforts on that Gphone that they’re helping with. How’s that working for you, Sun? I’m not holding my breath on that either.

  6. …. I don’t understand Mac People… you critizie Microsoft for its monopoly actions, but you encourage & praise Apple for doing the same thing. Its makes no sense. Apple asserts too much control over its products …AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN PURCHASED! What if Windows Mobile, Blackberry, & Palm required you to only by applications for your device through their stores! There would be a backlash … its makes business sense for Apple, but its sucks that the consumer won’t have the choice to add products such as java, flash, etc. to their device.
    I respect Apple for attempting to protect the user experience… but its sucks that they also limit a user’s choice with their devices!

  7. @Mac_ATTY

    “you criticize Microsoft for its monopoly actions, but you encourage & praise Apple for doing the same thing. Its makes no sense. Apple asserts too much control over its products …AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN PURCHASED!”

    The reason we give Apple the freedom to have control over our products even after we’ve bought them is because we know Apple makes terrific things for our products, they put alot of love and care into what they create and what they build that we dont mind if they have a ton of control. We trust them, and we know they can create beautiful software to justify its control.

    NO JAVA. Apple knows this. We dont even think about it, the answer is no.

  8. @Mac_ATTY “…. I don’t understand Mac People… you criticize Microsoft for its monopoly actions, but you encourage & praise Apple for doing the same thing.”

    We criticize Microsoft for it’s monopoly over the entire desktop operating system “industry” not for its monopoly control of its own products. There is a difference.

    “but its sucks that the consumer won’t have the choice to add products such as java, flash, etc. to their device. “

    Then don’t buy it and go use products by other companies that sacrifice user experience for choice, like Windows Mobile and Sybian.

  9. If SUN microsystems wrote thier java apps using Apples objective C++ or whatever version of C it is they have authored OSX with, then and only then could SUN microsysytems hope to ever have Java apps running on the iphone.

    The down side of that would be that SUN Microsystems would not be able to hawk the same apps to WINCE or SYMBIAN users, something I suspect they would like to do because of the thought of how many W&S;operated phones there are out there…billions!

    Greed permeates all crevices, it needs abusiness that has been toasted once before almost to death to recognise the danger.

    1995-97, the years that Apple nearly died on the alter of OS licensing.

    Beware, Beware the ides of March!!

  10. @Mac_ATTY

    Microsoft and the box assemblers allow users the freedom to do pretty much whatever they please with their systems. This lack of control is the main reason those systems are so unreliable. When I feel the urge for a tech fix and an all nighter coming on, I go visit my friends with PC’s and we customize and install and uninstall, and laugh and tech for hours. it’s a great feeling when after a hard days work the new sound card or scanner actually works. Your friend buys you drinks and fixes you a big dinner. I don’t mind doing it once in awhile. Of course when all I really want to do is compute, I go home to my Mac’s. You may not be able to turn a Mac into a can opener, but you count on them doing a great job on what they were designed to do.

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