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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HotJava https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HotJava > HotJava (later called HotJava Browser to distinguish it from HotJava Views) was a

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HotJava https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HotJava > HotJava (later called HotJava Browser to distinguish it from HotJava Views) was a modular, extensible web browser from Sun Microsystems implemented in Java. Are you saying they should have added JavaScript to their Java based browser?

_ea1k 3y ago
I remember that and also remember them releasing a new version that literally didn't work on yahoo.com. I complained and they said some snarky comment about not complaining about things that were given for free. That browser didn't last long, and was terrible.
- lizknope 3y ago
  I only remember running it and rotating some 3D model of a helicopter or something within the browser.
- panick21_ 3y ago
  It really was a demo, never a serious product.
  - _ea1k 3y ago
    It wasn't being marketed as just a demo at the time.
    - panick21_ 3y ago
      That's Sun management for you. At Sun some people wanted to build a browser and really invest into it, but Sun made deal with Netscape instead. And the HotJava thing never had to many resources for development. James Gosling tells stories of how hard it was and what it took to get basic demos running and then a little later its a product.
      - _ea1k 3y ago
        Somehow that doesn't shock me. TBH, I'm amazed that Java developed the way it did, given their approach to leading the effort. I guess the market really was _that_ hungry for a solution to certain problems.
        panick21_ 3y ago
        It was before open source and it was the most open thing. That combined with 'the internet is the future'. It was just a rocket ship.
        _ea1k 3y ago
        Looking forward, Python (or maybe a close following successor?) has a real chance at a similar trajectory with AI. =
panick21_ 3y ago
I would have preferred the write a real browser in C that was far and add Self to it for Scripting and maybe Java Applets directly in the Browser. Implementing the browser itself in Java isn't a great idea, specially in the 90s.

_ea1k 3y ago

I remember that and also remember them releasing a new version that literally didn't work on yahoo.com. I complained and they said some snarky comment about not complaining about things that were given for free. That browser didn't last long, and was terrible.

lizknope 3y ago
I only remember running it and rotating some 3D model of a helicopter or something within the browser.
panick21_ 3y ago
It really was a demo, never a serious product.
- _ea1k 3y ago
  It wasn't being marketed as just a demo at the time.
  - panick21_ 3y ago
    That's Sun management for you. At Sun some people wanted to build a browser and really invest into it, but Sun made deal with Netscape instead. And the HotJava thing never had to many resources for development. James Gosling tells stories of how hard it was and what it took to get basic demos running and then a little later its a product.
    - _ea1k 3y ago
      Somehow that doesn't shock me. TBH, I'm amazed that Java developed the way it did, given their approach to leading the effort. I guess the market really was _that_ hungry for a solution to certain problems.
      - panick21_ 3y ago
        It was before open source and it was the most open thing. That combined with 'the internet is the future'. It was just a rocket ship.
        _ea1k 3y ago
        Looking forward, Python (or maybe a close following successor?) has a real chance at a similar trajectory with AI. =

panick21_ 3y ago

I would have preferred the write a real browser in C that was far and add Self to it for Scripting and maybe Java Applets directly in the Browser. Implementing the browser itself in Java isn't a great idea, specially in the 90s.