ARGHHHHHHHHH!
The amount of confusion / incorrect technical information in this thread is enough to make someone's head explode.

Okay, so, here's the deal: there's Java the language, Java the platform -- yes, Sun is to blame for some of the confusion there. But anyone who thinks you can directly compare things like Flash, Java, and Ajax simply doesn't understand what these things are FOR. Java does compete with Flash/Flex in the mobile space to the extent that they can both be used to create apps. But for anyone who says Java is "dead", ask the people running countless Java-based applications on Blackberries and other smartphones. In fact, the only device that doesn't is... iPhone.

As for performance, okay, first, Flash isn't a "language." ActionScript is a language. Second, the perceived slowness here is dependent on a HUGE number of variables -- how ambitious the task at hand is, what the available hardware is, how well the thing was coded, and what bottlenecks the platform itself (including the Java platform or Flash/Flex, whatever) create. There are quite a few things at which Java is very fast -- sometimes a lot faster than Flash -- but without specifics, it's impossible to make this kind of comparison. I see we're also perilously close to saying Java is an interpreted language. It's not. So that means any performance arguments made therein are, simply, wrong. Now, we can get into an in-depth discussion of how garbage collectors impact performance, but my bet is you don't want to go there.

Java is a tool, period. Often, a tool worth criticizing. But for the kneejerk people who want to blast anyone associated with the tool, I might remind you that there was a time fairly recently when Mac users were criticized by people in blanket statements by those with no real technical basis for their argument.

And unless the iPhone is going to be a complete island with separately-developed apps, Java could be absolutely essential to cross-platform developers for the many, many, many things not possible with HTML and Ajax.

Oh, come on, unexpected or not, it's still *rightfully* frustrating, because it's software that controls how your operating system boots. And why not at least some grace period between the two? Or leaving it available, unsupported?

There are many, many cases where you wouldn't want to upgrade the OS -- audio, for one -- the day it ships. I understand not supporting it as beta software; that makes sense. But it wasn't a Leopard beta, it was a Boot Camp beta, and for many people, it's working. And Apple had clearly used this as a selling point for their machines. In other words, Apple is breaking functioning software.

Fortunately, there are third-party alternatives, and this really suggests that they're superior to Apple's own software.

Why is the burden so consistently laid at NBC's feet, given we know nothing of the content of the Apple/NBC negotiations? If Apple is in fact using their market power to manipulate those they have a contract with, we're supporting it ... why? As Mac users, I think it's our place to say to *both* companies, come on, guys, we want on-demand TV on our platform, period. Beyond that, it seems like we're advocating in an issue about which we really know nothing.

At least TiVO works...

I have to say, I went over to Amazon Unbox to see the premieres of Heroes and Bionic Woman, and was pleasantly surprised. The once-awful spyware is much-improved. And the video quality is better than iTunes. So if you've got your machine set to dual-boot Windows XP, at least this gives Windows something useful to do occasionally. ;)

Of course, the real problem here is this wrangling with platforms and DRM, whether it's on iTunes or Windows. Whether it takes 12 months or 12 years, eventually I feel like we'll see this stuff delivered in uniform, cross-platform formats. You'll be able to just turn it on and it'll work. You know, like television once was, long, long ago.

Right; the issue with Java goes beyond "Does it work?" to "Does it Work Well?" The good thing about Mac Java support is the ability to switch JDK versions; you can hot-swap 1.4 and 1.5, for instance. The bad thing seems to be performance. I can't get the framerates in Java on Mac that I can on Windows, period. (Sadly, the same is true of Linux, though, so this may not be Apple's fault.)

No one has mentioned that Java is now open-sourced, which could change the situation once people get into the code. I'm sure there will be some people interested in cross-platform performance.

Can I hire someone to delete my emails, please?

Anyway, Jim Allchin blogs about this whole thing today. You have to remember, in 2004 Longhorn was basically a mess, and he wanted to emphasize a point. And I think he was telling the truth. Microsoft has worked very hard on Vista since then. I don't see anything that's likely to shake users from their well-deserved loyalty to OS X, but it certainly illustrates the difference between the MS OS effort in 2004 and the state of the PC in January 2007.

And, anyway, these Mac vs. Windows arguments are pointless. Apple isn't even trying to push the kinds of volumes the PC manufacturers do. That's the reason their market share number isn't budging. But, frankly, that's probably a good thing. Anyone here remember when Apple tried dumping volumes on the market and nearly wrecked the company in the early 90s? Apple's model is different; it's not about market share numbers, and it seems to be working. I'd just like to see more Mac-based revenue growth and not just iPod, but being on all cylinders on Intel Macs should at least give them a fighting chance.

You know, I'm excited about Macworld for entirely different reasons. I'm psyched to be able to go and hang out with some of the brightest minds on the platform, to see some writers I haven't seen in a while, to get to go to Flashforward Monday and Tuesday and get some deep tricks for Flash projects I'm working on ... remember, you know, the Mac? Hey, if Apple comes out with some ingenious new gadget, great. But I don't care about Apple because of their gadgets. I care about their computers, period. And yes, that includes iPod.

Oh, come on, folks -- chill.

First, this was obvious some misbehaved graphic designer ripping graphics to hit a deadline. Odds are, that person was USING a Mac at the time. To say it's "Microsoft" is just childish. It's a huge company, and it's not possible to police all your designers. So you should say shame on whatever individual pulled this off.

Second, I'm fairly certain the other icon is in fact an actual icon out of Vista; pretty sure I saw it in a screen grab.

Trivia note: XP's icons were designed by legendary Mac-centric icon house Iconfactory. (Of course, horribly cramped by XP's icon resolution limitations, but iconic, as always ...) I don't know who designed the stuff for Vista.

I don't think these apps are about switching from Adobe to Microsoft software, honestly (whether that's Microsoft's hope or not). Notice the Illustrator export feature in the graphics tool -- they know what world they're living in.

No, I think this is more about having some streamlined apps that aren't everything to everyone. The hooks into Windows Presentation Foundation are especially interesting to me, especially because it's possible to mix WPF 3D and Flash. It seems a little akin to the launch of Apple Motion on the Mac for motion graphics; it became an addition creative tool for people using After Effects -- only a fraction of AE's functionality, but good at certain tasks that AE might not do as quickly.

Mark, it's good to hear what people are using it for, because I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. I'll believe automatic standards-based CSS when I see it, but intriguing nonetheless.

The irony to me is that, for all the Mac's reputation for graphics, Windows users are quickly getting spoiled for choice.

Opera + Windows Mobile 5 gets my vote. I still like the true Windows Mobile PocketPC as opposed to the Smartphones. The VX/PPC6700 is by no means the greatest thing ever, but it's doing okay for me. I think the next-gen UT Starcomm + Windows Mobile + Opera could indeed be perfect. And don't overlook the many terrific network admin apps available for Windows Mobile, many of which are free.