I need to compare this for an internet application (not intra-net), which does not need to do anything that is restricted by the browsers security sand-box.
Applet:
I won't use then in real world because of their buggy nature, slow load time, etc. However I can't put that as a reason in part 2.
Swing:
Cons:
If used with RMI, then requires HTTP tunneling, else you need to keep the RMI port open
Expects the client system to have minimum software and hardware
Difficult to maintain as a changes need to be pushed to all client systems (I know WebStart has improved this a lot)
Pros:
Rich interface
Minimizes data transfer over network
Can work with limited ability in a disconnected mode
RIA (AJAX, etc)
Has all the pros of Swing client, plus it can use the Web 2.0 features
Cons:
Lots of JavaScript (can be eliminated by an API by JQuery)
Multiple technologies to learn
If not done carefully, might result in a lot of network traffic
Having said that all, I am inclined towards using a RIA for my part 2 assignment. Please let me know if my analysis has covered every possible pros/cons and what would be the best way to describe this to Sun.
Thanks for your comments!