The Java™ Platform, Standard Edition 6 (Java SE 6).
The Java SE Runtime Environment (JRE) allows end-users to run Java applications.
(The previous release was Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition 5.0 (J2SE 5.0)

Java SE Overview
Java Platform, Standard Edition lets you develop and deploy Java applications on desktops and servers, as well as today's demanding Embedded and Real-Time environments. Java SE includes classes that support the development of Java Web Services and provides the foundation for Java Platform, Enterprise Edition (Java EE).

There are two principal products in the Java SE family:
Java SE Development Kit (JDK) and Java SE Runtime Environment (JRE).
• The JRE provides the Java APIs, Java Virtual Machine (HotSpot VM), and other components necessary to run applets and applications written in the Java programming language. It can be redistributed with such applications.
• The JDK contains everything that is in the JRE, plus tools such as the compilers and debuggers necessary for developing applets and applications.

Confused about Java? Read about Java Naming and Versioning
End-users download the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 6!

Downloads:
http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp

Please be sure to select the Runtime Environment for End-users for your system.

Note: Suggested Installation
Download the 'offline' installer
Close all programs | Uninstall all Sun Java present via Control Panel»Add/Remove
Reboot
Install Java Update
Reboot


Note: Java 5.x for Security reasons:
Search C: 'Programs' and 'Application Data' and remove old version files manually.

Sun Releases Java SE Platform to OpenJDK Community
May 8, 2007

"Sun Fulfills Promise of Open and Free Java Technology and Releases Java SE Platform to OpenJDK Community
today announced the release of a fully buildable Java Development Kit (JDK) version for Java Platform Standard Edition (Java SE) to the OpenJDK Community as free software under the GNU General Public License version two (GPLv2). In addition, Sun announced the Interim Governing Board for the OpenJDK community. Sun also announced that OpenJDK-based implementations can use the Java SE 6 Technical Compatibility Kit (JCK) to establish compatibility with the Java SE 6 specification."

Press Release: http://www.sun.com/aboutsun/pr/2007-05/sun....20070508.3.xml

WinRun4j
Configurable Java Launcher for Windows

WinRun4j is a java launcher for windows. It is an alternative to javaw.exe and provides the following benefits:

• Uses an INI file for specifying classpath, main class, vm args, program args.
  
• Custom executable name that appears in task manager.
  
• Additional JVM args for more flexible memory use.
  
• Built-in icon replacer for custom icon.
  
• Pre-JVM splash screen with auto-hide.
  
• DDE implementation for file assocations.
  
• Windows NT Service wrapper.
  
• Windows EventLog API
  
• Console version
  
• JNI library for INI access, splash screen, logger, registry, shell.
  
• Support for 64-bit JVM.

WinRun4J is licensed under the Common Public License (CPL).

Website

The latest download is available from the (SourceForge) Project Page.

Click to view attachment
http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index_jdk5.jsp

Good News:
Starting with 6u10 (Java 6 Update 10 final) Java will 'patch in place', meaning that it will overwrite the existing version on your system.

"Don't be fooled by its unassuming name: Java SE 6 update 10 is a very different animal than the updates that preceded it. Java SE 6u10 pushes the envelope by adding more new features and functionality than in any previous Java programming language update release, including many that have been a long time coming."

Read about the new 6u10: Sun Developer Network

Java SE 6 Update 18 b01 Early Access program
https://jdk6.dev.java.net/

Feature List:

• HotSpot version 16
• Support for Ubuntu 8.04 LTS
• JavaFX performance improvements
• Java WebStart related improvements for Java Store requirements
• List of deployment features:
  o 6853768: Customizable progress window - allow applications/applets to override default progress window
  o 6831764: pre-verify classes when JAR is downloaded into the cache to improve performance
  o 6792558: IE7 delay for every new opened tab
  o 6689313: Parallel download of JAR resources
  o 6844407: Desktop Shortcut Icons are all 32x32
  o 6838115: JNLP extension security model changes for Mac OS

Click to view attachment

Java SE 6 Update 18b03 Early Access Program
10/8/09
https://jdk6.dev.java.net/6uNea.html



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