Some Mac OS X Leopard Java Details
Even though Java is not listed as one of the 300+ new features, Java is listed as one of the “Key Technologies” listed under the tech specs for Leopard. Additionally, the development tools section also states that Leopard will include:
“Complete Java JDK, including javac, javadoc, ANT, and Maen tools “
Whatever “Maen” is 
Technically speaking, Java isn’t “new” even though Java 6 is a very big improvement over previous releases. I guess saying that they now have Ruby on Rails in every copy will sell more copies than saying that after 13 months, we finally have Java 6. Since Apple apparently removed the year-old developer preview of Java 6, I’m gonna go with Java 6 is finally going to appear in Mac OS X.
But seriously Apple, you need to do a better job at communicating with the development community on topics like this. We love your OS. We love your hardware. We hate the fact that the Java community was left in the dark as to what the state of Java was going to be in OS X Leopard. The Ruby folks seemed to have an awful lot of details around what was going to be included in 10.5. Whatever. I’ll still get my copy on the 27th at 10am.
“We love your OS.”
“We love your hardware.”
“We hate the fact that the Java community was left in the dark.”
Amen.
-stephan
–
Stephan Schmidt :: stephan@reposita.org
Reposita Open Source – Monitor your software development
http://www.reposita.org
Blog at http://stephan.reposita.org – No signal. No noise.
Sure, they do plenty of great stuff, and I love my new MacBook. They are still amazingly unreceptive to real customer concerns at times, though. Beware of any cult, really. Haven’t you noticed how culty the Apple stores are, with hangers-on milling around the “genius bar” ?
Especially at the Cambridge Side Galleria. Seriously, there aren’t too many true Geniuses working at the bar
Will you be going with Leopard as your primary OS from the get-go? I’m thinking of holding off to see how things go in the first few weeks…
Yeah, I think I may be an early adopter for this one. I did it with both Panther an Tiger and didn’t have any problems.
I hear that leopard comes with JAVA 5
If you are a full time Mac based Java Developer, I suggest getting a Apple Select Developer Membership ($499), get your 20% discount on hardware for a nice new MacBook Pro:
http://developer.apple.com/membership/hardware.html
save minimum $400 on hardware, get free seed versions of OS X (save $129) and look under the ‘Java’ section of the Developer Connection.
If you are in the UK then claim back the cost of the MacBook Pro to boot:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/helpsheets/ir206.pdf
If you are not, you can wait a few weeks whilst the rest of us feedback on bugs to Apple to make sure everything is cosy.