I would never use Java for a Linux application — OCaml comes to mind as a desktop Linux language I use a lot. And for applications whose sole target is my own PC, I usually stitch together some hodge-podge of Perl, bash, and Linux utilities. But if I’m writing an application in Linux for Windows users to run, in my opinion, Java has no equal.

Also, weighing in on the Web side, Macromedia Studio doesn’t run on Linux, so I can’t really comment on it, but I do think that Java is better than AJAX for a few specialized cases — for example, a Finite State Machine applet, or the well-known Sodaplay. This sort of special case is characterized by 1) heavy interactivity to the point where nothing can be known before the user starts playing around, 2) a need for graphics and simple animations generated on-the-fly from user input, and 3) a need for non-trivial logic. However, based on my few experiences with flash, for these to apply to Flash, we would need to replace condition (2) with “a need for something in a third-party Java library that you don’t want to do yourself.”

There’s my two cents.

To be honest, though, I’m not real impressed with its record in standalone apps, either. Anyone out there really a fan of Java at all these days?

After a dozen or so years in the real world, Java is still more a buzzword than an actual programming tool.

Like you, in 2002 Java exceeded my pain threshold and I vowed to switch any of my client-side web programming over to Flash. I have never looked back; nor have I ever regretted it. I’m going to be honest with you-this is not to say that there haven’t been times Flash has had me gnashing my teeth or I haven’t sat around and sporadically suspected I had gotten better performance out of my Apple II. I’m simply saying its better than any alternative (including Java). In fact its far, far better.

This would probably come as a surprise to many programmers. But anyone who has tried to deploy serious web applications written in Java and had to put up with the endless browser problems, JVM conflicts, general plugin instability and other headaches will understand when I say that Flash comes closer to fulfilling Java’s promise of ‘write once, run anywhere’ than Java ever did. Perhaps it was easier because Flash is far less ambitious-but maybe this was the correct tact-to start off small and get it right instead of aiming for the stars and missing by an astronomical unit.

Despite all this, by a weird coincidence I also dusted off some old Java code I had lying around and started playing with it the other night(there must be something in the air) – haven’t reached the point of “what am I doing” yet like you have, but I’m pretty sure that will occur in time.

Gees … i have jbuilder the latest version here and it runs like crap on xp 2200+ with 1 gb ram … trully crap.