At last — Java 6 is out

As of yesterday, if you have the right hardware, Java 6 for Mac OS X will show up in Software Update. Java 6 was definitely a long time coming, and I’m very happy it finally got out the door. It was my last project at Apple, and I remain proud of the work the Java team has produced over the years, despite all of the changes and adversity that were thrown at us.

Java on the Macintosh was, is, and always will be a Never Ending Drama. It was when I was working for MetroWerks in 1996, and became even more drama-filled when I joined Apple 8 years ago. I guess I enjoy it though, because I’m still part of the Java community through my work at Adobe. Here’s hoping the drama continues (though at a pace slower than a Bruce Willis movie.)

And in this corner, weighing in at 1 pound, Duke!

Today was the first time I replied to Java-dev with my Adobe email and signature. I thought I had done so previously, but apparently no one noticed. To my surprise I received a couple of congratulatory emails from some other list members. One even called me a “heavyweight of Java”, in the same breath with Chet Haase. That’s pretty good company to be in, but the truth is, Chet weighs a lot less than I do. I would put him in the middleweight of Java.