Sun comes up with netbook-specific Java

The giant is working on the mobile version of Java

Sun Microsystems is reportedly working with partners to customize Java telecomsy for netbooks. The Java Micro Edition (Java ME) is set to out next year, which would let netbooks running Java otherwise optimized for the cellphones, running through Java APIs. That means the netbooks don’t have to use the current Java Standard Edition (Java SE), which is generally used on notebooks and PCs.

It could also mine the other way round, as Sun explains – if the Java Mobile edition works well on netbooks, it’ll bring the scope of bringing some notebook features to the smartphones. The Java ME will also bring dynamic languages like Jruby to mobile.

"Currently netbooks run Java on the desktop, but we want them to be able to do mobile things, so we want those mobile APIs to be available here and that - rather than having two VMs - we want to have it modular." says Jeet Kaul, vice president of Sun's client software group, to Reg at Oracle's OpenWorld – as reported by the Register.

"The first effort on modularization is on SE. As we do that we are building a mobile version as we speak, and we are building a version for the netbooks," Kaul said.

There has been a long discussion on making the APIs available to the developers so that they can build it the way they want. It will also make updating Java easier.