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Java for Vista is rock solid, says Sun

PC builders, come on down!

Sun Microsystems has moved to quash growing reports (here and here) of problems between Java and Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system, due next month.

Sun has begun circulating links to one of its engineer's blogs that claims "we have been building a rock-solid release of Java [Java Standard Edition 6] for Vista.

"We have been tuned into this release and making Java work on it since it was named after a breed of cattle [Longhorn]," according to Sun Java client group architect Chet Haase.

If there are problems, it will be with Java pre-dating Java SE 6 - Java SE 1.5 and Java SE 1.4.2 - although Hasse says necessary fixes will be back ported to these releases.

That would be OK, if it weren't for the fact Java SE 6 has yet to be finalized and made available for release, meaning most desktop Java SE is versions 1.5 and 1.4.2.

Meanwhile, it seems Sun is also again looking to PC manufacturers instead of Microsoft to get Java SE6 into the hands of Windows users. Sun is relying on distribution deals with 20 OEMs, including Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Sony, to ship Windows Vista PC with Sun's Java Runtime Environment (JRE) pre-installed.

Sun is seeking broader distribution of its JRE, which features the Sun Java Virtual Machine (JVM), by appealing to "local" OEMs here.

Previously, Sun took Microsoft to court for refusing to ship its JVM with Windows Vista's predecessor, Windows XP, thereby relying on users to download the software themselves after installing their new PC. Microsoft eventually installed its own JVM with Windows XP Service Pack (SP) 1 in September 2002. It seems like Microsoft has not changed its position on Sun's JRE or JVM, despite the ending of legal hostilities in 2004.

Ironically, Microsoft's support for PCs running Windows XP SP 1 ended Tuesday. ®

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