Mac to get infusion of Java
Apple is expected to bring Java to the Macintosh operating system this week when it posts a beta version of Mac OS Runtime for Java.
True to its name, Runtime for Java is the basic set of tools needed to run Java applets in the Mac OS. It includes the Java Virtual Machine, standard Java classes, and an applet viewer that allows applets to work within Cyberdog, Apple's Internet software suite based on the OpenDoc component architecture.
The beta version is expected to be available between now and Friday. But it will not include a just-in-time (JIT) compiler, a tool that allows the operating system to execute applet code faster, though Apple licensed the virtual machine and the JIT compiler from Natural Intelligence in May.
The final version of Runtime for Java, complete with the JIT compiler, is expected to be integrated into an upcoming version of the Mac OS by the end of the year, an Apple spokesperson said.
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