HotJava for Windows 95

HotJava for Windows 95 -- Welcome to the future of the web...according to Sun Microsystems, that is. HotJava is an extremely interesting new browser that goes one step beyond your typical web browser (like Netscape or Internet Explorer). In addition to allowing clients to download the normal fare of images, documents, sounds, etc., distributed applets can also be downloaded. Applets are (usually) small executable programs written in the Java programming language and included in HTML pages, similar to commonly imbedded images. Applets can take the form of almost anything, from simple games and animations to the most complex of programs. You can even develop and add your own applets to your web site. The potential for this technology is almost limitless; already the sample applets available far exceed anything ever encountered on the web before. Sun has developed an amazing language in Java, but the actual browser, HotJava, is nowhere near as 'hot'. As a strict web browser, HotJava isn't likely to win over many followers. It's far slower than Netscape and other browsers, it lacks many of the advanced features found in Netscape and Internet Explorer, and it's still quite buggy. While the Java technology may well be the future of the web, the HotJava browser may not be the best web browser to deliver it. Reviewer - Forrest Stroud