I use Mac OS X for Java and *love* it! While Java was a kludge at best on the old (classic) Mac OS, on OS X it truly shines. Here are a few reasons why I love OS X for Java:
1. It has a unique status as the only "mass-market," consumer OS to support Java out-of-the-box. When you are developing Java on Windows (as I do at work), you are essentially in hostile territory. When you develop it on the Mac, you are working on a platform that has fully embraced Java.
2. From a UI standpoint, Apple has done a better job than Sun. Apple's Swing implementation is very good, and a Java app done properly could easily pass for a native app in terms of look-and-feel and responsiveness.
3. Apple's VM has some thoughtful features--my favorite is the "-Xdoc:name=<application name>:icon=<path to icon file>" that allows you to easily make your Java app behave more like a native app.
4. Apple includes a lot of nice developer tools for Java, and you can even use Project Builder to turn your application into an OS X application bundle. This makes your application *indistinguishable* from a native app (icon and all) without sacrificing your code's portability (the application bundle is just like a wrapper).
Right now the only thing holding Apple back is that everyone is still waiting for
word on when their version of Java 1.4 will be released. Other than that, as both a Java and Mac fan, I couldn't be happier!
Buzz
