Is it time to give Java the boot?

Written by

PCWorld:

Is it time to give Java the boot? Experts say yes. Java, the programming language designed to make the web fun and interactive, has become one of the weakest links in a PC’s and Mac’s defenses against external threats. The risks don’t outweigh the rewards, security experts say. “I’d say 90 percent of users don’t need Java anymore,” says Dominique Karg, the founder and chief hacking officer of AlienVault, a security software company. “I consider myself a ‘power user’ and the last and only time I realized I had Java installed on my Mac was when I had to update it.”

When was the last time you used Java on your Mac?



  • http://borkware.com/ Mark Dalrymple

    A lot of web-based video conference software is java based, at least lately the ones I’ve had to use recently have required downloads of a big bolus of Java.

  • http://twitter.com/themeht James Huston

    Only reason I have it installed is that the World of Warcraft log parser I use uses it.

  • Andrew

    Minecraft is probably the only reason I use Java anymore.

    • http://www.aichon.com Brad

      Yep. Minecraft and CrashPlan are both Java applications that I regularly use. Also, I could’ve sworn that Wikipedia used Java applets to embed audio files in their pages, but I may be thinking of how it used to be.

  • Jim

    I use Java avery day on my Mac. Necessary evil for the one app that requires it. Native alternatives are not even in the same league.

  • SteveStreza

    Minecraft is Java, so it’s probably not going anywhere. There are also some great Java developer tools, like Jenkins and Charles Proxy.

  • http://www.johncblandii.com John C. Bland II

    Java is still very useful. I’m a dev so I use it often but even without being a dev my wife still needs it on her laptop.

  • http://www.lazyprogrammers.com Eugene Kim

    Java, Flash, same difference.

  • http://www.thegraphicmac.com/ JimD

    Wait, “the risks DON’T outweight the rewards?” Huh?

  • http://twitter.com/scblock Steve Block

    I’m fine with Java being blocked in browsers, but crashplan is built in Java and I’m very satisfied with the service.

  • TobyS95

    Crashplan. Wish there was a native application that did computer to computer backups as nicely (well when it works). However, I’m about to give Crashplan the boot if there are no plans to move from a Java application.

  • Erik

    I use it for CrashPlan. I haven’t used it in the browser for ~10 years.

  • http://twitter.com/brunormbarros Bruno De Barros

    If you deal with your taxes online in Ireland, you can only login if you have Java enabled.

    And I use a Java app for my work every day, too. To quote @Jim, from an earlier comment, “Native alternatives are not even in the same league”, sadly.

  • MrPhotoEd

    Unfortunately, a couple of times a week with online administrative applications, time sheets and the like.

  • Hexx

    ps3 media server – that’s the only reason I keep Java on my Mac

  • http://bradchoate.com Brad Choate

    I’d love to drop Java, but it pops up unexpectedly in apps that are cross-platform in nature… where companies cut corners and don’t want to invest in native application development. So personally, that list includes Juniper Network Connect VPN, CrashPlan, and bits and pieces of Photoshop (at least as of CS5).

  • AC

    I could be wrong but I think Adobe’s Creative Suite 6 still requires Java. I was prompted by 10.8 to install something Java-related upon launching Illustrator.

    • Radu

      Yep. I don’t have Java installed and stupid Illustrator crashes on exit and sometimes even while switching documents because of this. I blame lazy Adobe.

  • Sachin

    What about the write once run everywhere mantra? Though i use java as frequently as you have mentioned, but still it remains a highly productive language

  • http://twitter.com/Rick_Baumhauer Rick Baumhauer

    I still use Java for a couple of cross-platform apps for processing digital recordings from vinyl sources – no native tools I’ve found work nearly as well. Basically never on the web any more, though.

  • Jeff Preboy

    I think my work uses it in the IT departments online browser Docket Billing system (it’s so slow) aaagh!

    Unfortunately, my 12 year old son at home plays a MMORPG called Spiral Knights.

    I would get rid of it if I could.

  • Steven Fisher

    Java is great for some things, but I think it’s clear that an extra layer for apps just isn’t one of them. I need to install it from time to time for GotoMeeting, and the sooner they move to something better (or we do) the better.

    Of course, Apple’s already booted Java from the default configuration. PCWorld trying to write an insightful article on the topic seems pretty bullshit to me. “CDs over Vinyl? Maybe a good idea!”

  • http://mcdevzone.com/ mike3k

    CrashPlan uses Java.

  • http://cjensen.livejournal.com/ CJ

    Minecraft, Crashplan, and Jungledisk.

    Why, after all these years, cannot Java be compiled? Why is there a system-wide Java on my hard disk?

  • Ron Miller

    I still need Java both for Adobe Photoshop and Synology Diskstation. I would get rid of it if I could!

  • franksspam

    Unfortunately I use it every day. The software that we use to teach online courses requires it. I wish it didn’t because it prevents me from using the entire site on my iPad and it loads terribly on the Mac as well.

  • http://twitter.com/noahread Noah Read

    Adobe Creative Suite requires Java. That’s a huge use case for a lot of people.

  • Ish

    Java for user applications? I could do without it..

    However, Java on the Mac? 50% of the software I develop is Java – server side software.

  • Bob

    I disabled it a while ago and haven’t needed it in a long time.

  • http://twitter.com/Moeskido Moeskido

    The occasional webinar/livestream requires Java, if not Flash. I find it interesting that there are still apps being developed around it. Can’t wait until it and DirectX go away and die.

  • http://www.scottearle.com/ Scott Earle

    Cassandra, HBase, ActiveMQ … some people do write ‘serious’ stuff in Java, unfortunately. Even some decent tools like OxygenXML are written in it.

    Sadly, I won’t be able to drop Java yet :(

  • Darren

    Burpsuite, crashplan, various conferencing apps, VPN installers (I’m looking at you juniper), the list goes on.

    Might be easy to dump it for a blogger who gets to use the trendy text editor of the week for 99% of his work, but for the rest of us it’s a necessary evil.

  • Lukas

    I use Java every day, for stuff like GoToMyPC, Minecraft, and pretty much every IDE ever created.

  • Paul D. Waite

    On Windows, when you update Java, the updater says:

    “By installing Java, you will be able to experience the power of Java.”

    I think that’s the best possible description of its benefits.

  • kibbles

    the Desposit Point banking web app for scanning checks into your account requires a java plugin…

  • John W Baxter

    I need Java JRE (last used Friday) for a couple of (very well written) 3rd party applications for company use. I don’t need Java JDK nor do I need Java applets, which I keep disabled. (Check after any Java update, as these tend to turn applets back on.)

  • Thea

    I hate Java, but Tunnelbear is a personal essential. I’ve pinged their tech support begging for a java-free option.

  • Aetles

    As many others here: I use Java because of Crashplan. Otherwise, never.