Network World, 01/04/99

That no major browser fully supports Java more than three years after the programming language's debut tells you everything you need to know about Java on the desktop. Plagued by performance issues and glitches, it is a long way from competing effectively on the desktop.

"Everything driven by Java is premature," says John McConnell, president of McConnell Associates, a consulting firm in Boulder, Colo. "Some developers still say it's not ready for prime time."

Sun keeps promising to speed Java on the client side, but the company has repeatedly delayed the release of HotSpot, technology designed to double performance time. Until HotSpot becomes available, Java on the desktop is best avoided for serious work, McConnell says.

Prediction: HotSpot will debut this year but will be too late to help widespread Java implementation.