Apple Computer Inc has made a beta version of the Mac Java runtime available for download as MRJ 1.0a1. By the end of the year, the company is promising that the Java virtual machine will be built into the Mac operating system, with a published set of APIs that will let developers Java-enable their applications. The final version should also include a just in time compiler. Though the company has previously licensed Natural Intelligence’s Java work, the Mac OS runtime is Apple’s own work, based on Sun’s development kit. In the meantime, the pre-release version will enable users to run Java applets either through a stand-alone applet viewer or one implemented as a Live Object (nee OpenDoc component). The latter implementation is compatible with CyberDog 1.1; Apple’s component-based Internet front-end. The package also includes Sun’s standard set of eight Java classes; the AWT. To run the 1.0a1 release of MRJ you need System 7.5or later and Apple recommends 16Mb RAM plus OpenDoc 1.0.4 or later if you want to use the OpenDoc viewer. The Cyberdog 1.1 final release will support Mac OS Runtime for Java, but not Cyberdog 1.1 beta.www.devtools.apple.com/mrj/
