Apple Updates Java to 1.6.0_22 on Software Updates
This morning I noticed that Apple updated the Java deployment on OS X to 1.6.0_22 to bring it current with the latest offering from Sun/Oracle. There have been a lot of little improvements and security fixes for the JVM and it's very nice to see them kept up to date on the Mac.
Like it or not, Java is here to stay and it's an important part of my daily life.
UPDATE: This is not a good development:
As of the release of Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 3, the version of Java that is ported by Apple, and that ships with Mac OS X, is deprecated.
This means that the Apple-produced runtime will not be maintained at the same level, and may be removed from future versions of Mac OS X. The Java runtime shipping in Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, and Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, will continue to be supported and maintained through the standard support cycles of those products.
Now I can understand the "Back to the Mac" idea of not putting Flash on the newly shipping MacBook Airs, but that's easily fixed - just install it if you want. They aren't trying to stop you on your laptop. But this... this is bad news. I've been using Java on the Mac for a lot of years, and it's been a fantastic platform for that. I just don't know why they'd want to ditch it unless it's about the Oracle acquisition or something.
I just have a bad feeling about this...