Mike
On 31 Oct 2010, at 11:27:42PM, Mike Swingler wrote:
> Nothing changes for Mac OS X 10.6 and 10.5. We will continue to update Java on these OSs throughout their service lifetimes. As usual, Apple employees on this list can not discuss the unannounced details of unshipped products.
I cannot find any clear statement of what Apple considers the service lifetime of 10.6 to be. Can you help?
We have to buy labs of PC (Windows / MacOS X / Linux) to last for a certain length of time. We need to run Java on them AND get current OS security updates. If either is available for less time than the planned life of the lab, we wont be buying the OS involved (and hence Macs, if it is MacOS X). If we don't know how long this will be, we will also be obliged to take the safer option, and not buy Macs. If we can get a definition for "service lifetime" (and note this does not involve unshipped products) we MIGHT buy more Macs, which could give us the breathing space for a new solution for Java to appear.
Now, if we switch from Macs to something else, due to current uncertainty, we will have to buy new licences for many other bits of software (due to change of platform). Platform swaps are extremely expensive, for this reason, and if we do swap away, it is pretty unlikely on cost grounds we would swap back without some extremely compelling reason. Once gone, gone forever, more or less.
Sorry if this off-topic (non-technical), but I have tried, unsuccessfully, to find Apple's definition of service lifetime online, and you are at least a contact who might be able to tell us where find that definition.
Best wishes
Ralph
--
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