Java’s Filthy Rich Clients

Posted on July 23, 2007, under Development, Software.

If you have not been following Filthy Rich Clients for Java, they are up to chapter 11 and have some really amazing demos available on their site. There is a print version of the book coming in August, but you can also buy the online version at their website.

I have had zero free time lately so my side projects have really suffered, but that will change here shortly. I remember a while back asking my readers why they liked or disliked Java applications on the Desktop, and the there was a lot of mixed feedback. Some stated it was too slow, especially on the user interface side. Some did not like the install process of Java applications. And some brought in why they disliked Java as a development language.

I have been really torn lately between what the whole Java debate, and before starting new projects I am doing more research on what the market likes and dislikes it. Yes, both Java and C++ have they set backs, and in turn they both have their strengths. I have found that Java applications do not do as well on the Shareware market as other Windows-centric applications, and I am still trying to figure out why that is.

To come full circle, with Java making advances in user interfaces like the ones shown in the book above, I wonder if it will improve Java’s appeal on the desktop. with the iPhone, Vista, OSX; eye candy is definitely where the future is.

Once again I would like to open up the floor to comments on the whole Java on the desktop market. Again, please be kind as I stand on mutual ground looking for others view points.

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3 Replies to "Java’s Filthy Rich Clients"

Ole on July 24, 2007

Comparing Java and C++ is like comparing Ruby and PHP. (The first is OO and the other is just iffy)

Java and C# on the other hand might be a bit more alike. The Mono Project might be worth looking into if you’re doing C# and if not, Eclipse is the best IDE for Java development by far.