Comments on: iPhone 2.0 SDK: Java on the iPhone?

By: Commodore 64 emulator for iPhone - Software

Commodore 64 emulator for iPhone - Software — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 20:35:33 +0000

[...] Cocoa Touch platform from being sidelined by a third party developer’s sub-platform, such as Java, Adobe Flash, or Microsoft Silverlight. If developers want to ship apps for Apple’s iPhone, [...]

By: Apple approves Commodore 64 emulator for iPhone — RoughlyDrafted Magazine

Apple approves Commodore 64 emulator for iPhone — RoughlyDrafted Magazine — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 20:10:52 +0000

By: Christopher

Christopher — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:19:02 +0000

Does the “interpreted code” limitation also prevent things like modern text adventure interpreters, MAME, emulators, and the like.

By: Podcast: Flash and Java on iPhone — RoughlyDrafted Magazine

Podcast: Flash and Java on iPhone — RoughlyDrafted Magazine — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 21:11:01 +0000

[...] on the iPhone 2.0 SDK iPhone 2.0 SDK: The No Multitasking Myth iPhone 2.0 SDK: Java on the iPhone? iPhone 2.0 SDK: How Signed Certificates Work iPhone 2.0 SDK: Video Games to Rival Nintendo DS, Sony [...]

By: jimmoores

jimmoores — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 19:51:33 +0000

@FloydThreepwood:
Most enterprises write custom software to some degree. While I agree that Java’s probable lack of support for Cocoa Touch does limit it’s usefulness on the iPhone, the thing to realize about enterprise development is that the user interface is less important than the functionality. A fine user interface doesn’t significantly add value unless it’s bad to the extent of taking two or three times longer to perform a task, but I’d argue that is unusual. However it’s easier to retask existing Java J2EE/J2SE developers to knock out a quick sales app for the iPhone (or whatever) than to hire a completely new team who knows Objective-C/Cocoa. After all Mac’s aren’t exactly big in business at the moment.

Don’t get me wrong, I think UI design is very important, and I hate badly designed applications, and I’d prefer everyone to write Cocoa Touch apps (or have a good Java/Cocoa Touch bridge), but I think that my analysis reflects the reality that Java on the iPhone would encourage uptake by business.

Whether compromising the interface for internal applications is a good trade for increased sales for Apple is up for debate though.

By: iPhone 2.0 SDK: How Signing Certificates Work — RoughlyDrafted Magazine

iPhone 2.0 SDK: How Signing Certificates Work — RoughlyDrafted Magazine — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 05:05:34 +0000

[...] ← iPhone 2.0 SDK: Java on the iPhone? [...]

By: FloydThreepwood

FloydThreepwood — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:54:59 +0000

@ jimmoores:

This is the first real pro Java I’ve read so far. But the question is, how many Enterprises are out there that use custom Software? Because software companies surely can earn money from custom Cocoa touch programms.

By: iPhone 2.0 SDK: Readers Write on Certificate Signing — RoughlyDrafted Magazine

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:40:17 +0000

[...] to the articles iPhone 2.0 SDK: Java on the iPhone? and iPhone 2.0 SDK: How Signing Certificates Work, readers wrote in with additional notes on signed [...]

By: jimmoores

jimmoores — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:16:09 +0000

The historical context of the analysis is interesting. However, one thing that no one has mentioned is that Sun said they’d port J2ME, not the MIDP profile (which is pretty useless). If they actually meant the MIDP profile, I couldn’t care less whether they actually do it or not: it would be completely meaningless. There is no reason why an iPhone couldn’t run the full JVM (with cut-down libraries), which is essentially what some of the J2ME profiles are. Unfortunately, most people’s experience with Java begins and ends with ugly Swing applications and crappy applets. Beyond that Java is amazingly powerful and pretty big in enterprise development right now. I would just LOVE to be able to write ‘native’ iPhone apps in Java.

By: FloydThreepwood

FloydThreepwood — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:52:12 +0000

The article misses the point in a big way! Instead of talking about history and politics it’s as simple as you mentioned in your first comment.

Java simply is platform dependent when it comes to UI’s. We see how MS Office struggels to put the controlls in the Mac Experience. And remember we are talking about two mouse controlled enviroments. If you think about D-Pad, Stylus and finger controlled systems they simply haven’t enough in common to make it work.

Without the Java prmisse it simply is not sexy enough.

BTW: If you read the comments carefully there seems to be enough materiel for a next gen language article?