Difference between revisions of "History of Computers - Java"

Revision as of 06:09, 29 September 2008

By: Wren Fondren

In essense, Java is universal "talk," a computer language that is compatible with every device from low quality cell phones to the most sophisticated servers. Sun Mycrosystem's Java is a series of products that create a cross-platform enviroment through application software, making it possible for information such as the World Wide Web to be read by any type of computer or mobile phone. From its small-scale release on a website in 1995 to its full scale world distribution under the GNU General Public License, Java has been an integral part to the unity of today's multitude of computer systems.

Overview

In December 1990 Sun Mycrosystems asked Patrick Naughton, James Gosling, and Mike Sheridan to develop a new computing language to replace Sun's C++/C as a universal language for the next generation's smart appliances. Their project was fondly nick-named "The Green Project." [1]

In 1995 it was officially announced within Sun Mycrosystems that the Java programming had officially been created, and was soon after released on a small scale form on the website wicked.neato.org. The phenomenon quickly caught on, and before long nearly every computer device and smart device had Java downloaded and working.

Java powers more than 4.5 billion devices including: 800+ million PCs, 2.1 billion mobile phones and other handheld devices, 3.5 billion smart cards, Set-top boxes, printers, Web cams, games, car navigation systems, lottery terminals, medical devices, parking payment stations, and more. [2]

Scott McNealy: Chairman & CEO, Sun Microsystems

John Gage: Chief Researcher & Director of the Science Office, Sun Microsystems, Inc.

James Gosling: Fellow & Chief Technology Officer of Sun's Developer Products, Green Team original, FirstPerson employee, original member Java Products Group, lead engineer and key architect of Java technology

Bill Joy: Cofounder of Sun Microsystems, Inc., principal designer of the University of California, Berkeley, version of the UNIX® operating system, partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers

Eric Schmidt: CEO of Google, former Sun Microsystems chief technical officer

Tim Lindholm: Distinguished Engineer at Sun Microsystems and a member of the Consumer and Mobile Systems Group. He is the Architect of the Java Platform, Micro Edition (Java ME, formerly J2ME), a FirstPerson employee, original member Java Products Group

George Paolini: Vice President & General Manager, Java Solutions, Borland & former Director of corporate marketing, Sun's Java Software Division

Amy Fowler: Senior Staff Engineer at Sun Microsystems, founding member of the Java Swing GUI Toolkit, FirstPerson employee, original member Java Products Group

Alan E. Baratz, Ph.D: CEO and President, NeoPath Networks, and former president of Sun's Java Software Division [3]

Significance

Java is significant in that it allows the user nearly an unlimited base to work with. It has been tested, refined, extended, and proven by a dedicated community. There are 6.5 million developers, making it the largest and most active programming language on the planet. With its versatilty, efficiency, and portability, Java has become invaluable to developers by enabling them to write software on one platform and run it on virtually any other platform, create programs to run within a Web browser and Web services, develop server-side applications for online forums, stores, polls, HTML forms processing, and more, combine applications or services using the Java language to create highly customized applications or services, and write powerful and efficient applications for mobile phones, remote processors, low-cost consumer products, and practically any other device with a digital heartbeat. In our ever increasingly digital world, Java is indespensible to both programmers and users on all systems and it propelling the computer industry towards a more unified front in use and compatibility than it ever has been.

Links

http://www.java.com/en/javahistory/timeline.jsp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_java

References

[1] History of Java

[1] About Java

[2] List of Significant Members of Sun Mycrosystems