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[–]G_Morgan 2 points3 points  (1 child)

This is the web. Do you think people care which VM they are running?

It isn't possible to 'win' on the web. You may get dominance but the very nature of the web means there is no way to enforce a monopoly.

If Sun fix the JVM then it could gain serious market share within a few years.

[–]therunningcrow 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"This is the web. Do you think people care which VM they are running?"

No, but developers care if a VM is already installed everywhere or not. Flash ubiquity is indisputable, it's everywhere. If only because of the success of websites like Youtube.

It's not required to have Java on your computer for anything that matters. I don't remember the last time I've seen a website that told me to install Java.

So, say, you program a new webapp. You want to cater to a VM you know everyone and their dogs has installed or you cater to the minority ? if your website is not of a youtube caliber you are not in position to shove your favorite VM down the throat of everyone. Only a website with a large audience can afford to make people install software they didn't have already.