Applet VS Webstart , what do you prefer as a end user ?

[DzzD]

Cool I finally found the pool button

I saw so many Webstart that could run as an Applet that I begin to wonder that if I am the only one to dislike the Webstart popup and its autoinstall program feature.

Your vote are welcome, please remember that we are talking from end user side.

[Riven]

If the Java Plugin is not installed:

• Applet -> you see an empty rectangle, with the 'yellow bar' offering you a JRE download.
• Webstart -> bunch of XML replacing the entire webpage

Applet is the obvious winner, IMHO.



In case  Java is installed:

• Applet -> might work, depending on JRE version / browser
• Webstart -> good chance it actually works

Webstart wins hands down.

[princec]

Now I've got 6.0u12, applet, every time - because they seem to work 100%, and start up nearly as fast as Flash.

Cas

Games published by our own members! Check 'em out!

[DzzD]

Now I've got 6.0u12, applet, every time - because they seem to work 100%, and start up nearly as fast as Flash.

Cas

I keep my old 1.6-02 for compatibility purpose, but I got a huge smile when I read this sentence "start up nearly as fast as Flash." Great! Java on the Web client side can now come back from its cendra as the Phoenix.

[SimonH]

Applets.
I'm not keen on giving java free access through the firewall so I have to allow access for every webstart app (if I bother at all) which is a bore.
I get tired of all those bloody shortcuts that webstart creates also...
Webstart's only for useful security reasons - why use it otherwise?

[kappa]

java plugin 2 installed then applet otherwise java web start.

[brackeen]

Applets.

JWS apps usually take longer to load and are more unpredictable in what you're going to get. Often they require more dialogs, too: loading dialog, trust dialog, and shortcut dialog. By the third dialog I'm thinking "jeez just show me the app already".

[thijs]

Definatly applets; They're all way backward compatible to java 1.1 (if you'd want and stick to the 1.1 syntax), their deployment is simple enough (require as few scary popups as possible) and run transparantly from within the browser like people are accustomed too with webapps.

[kevglass]

Depends on the app.

Applets are what I want for smaller casual things - 4k games, flash competitor style games.

If I'm playing some huge 3D extravaganza of an FPS MMORPG AAAemUp I think I'd rather have webstart with desktop shortcut integration or (maybe better) just a normal stand alone installer. I don't really want the browser involved at all with that sort of game.

Kev

[Markus_Persson]

What kev said.

Games published by our own members! Check 'em out!

[Ranger]

What Markus said. 

[Eli Delventhal]

What Ranger said. 

(Also, anything that uses external libraries like LWJGL works a lot better as Webstart in my experience)

[Xyle]

One of the main things I dislike about the webstart is after trying out a bunch of games, theres a bunch of uninstalls to do, hehehehe. Applets are short and sweet, you try it and dont have to uninstall anything.

[gouessej]

I prefer Webstart.

It fits into my need, I'm not interested in executing a game inside a browser and I don't want to undergo the limitations of applets. I find Webstart easy to deploy applications that rely on third party libraries. Now you can do almost the same things in a applet and in Java Webstart but I don't really see why I would switch to applets.

[h3ckboy]

I have to go with webstart.

simply becasue I dont ahve admin, so I cannot put java on my Chrome browser, so I cannot play applets on it .

For a webstart I jsut have to download teh jnlp file(a drag but usually worth it).

P.S. : loave the what he said chain

[zammbi]

I like applets when they are going 
If its a small game or a program that has no use outside the browser then I'm all for applets.
If the game has a large screen size or something clearly not just for being in a browser then webstart would be better.
Just to note it seems my uni has turned off webstart on all computers and only applets work. No idea why they would do that and if any other places do the same thing.

[princec]

The reason I like applets is because of this game. It's not Java, it's Flash but... oh look - you didn't have to do a thing, just surf on over and you're playing it and there's a slim chance you'll give them some cashola. It's the ultimate in deployment goals. If I could do that, I'd be richer than I am now (which won't be hard as my monthly income is about $100 )

Cas

[Ranger]

The reason I like applets is because of this game. It's not Java, it's Flash but... oh look - you didn't have to do a thing, just surf on over and you're playing it and there's a slim chance you'll give them some cashola. It's the ultimate in deployment goals. If I could do that, I'd be richer than I am now (which won't be hard as my monthly income is about $100 )

Cas

Actually, I just tested out that game and got a Flash pop up message asking me if it was ok to store 1Mb of information on my hard drive......but I get your point and totally agree. 

[gouessej]

Just to note it seems my uni has turned off webstart on all computers and only applets work. No idea why they would do that and if any other places do the same thing.

Can you still use Java Webstart on command line? (javaws http://www.myprettywebsite.com/myjnlpfile.jnlp)

If I could do that, I'd be richer than I am now (which won't be hard as my monthly income is about $100 )

If you want to increase your monthly income, you might be interested in this  : http://www.java-gaming.org/topics/paid-short-mission-jmonkeyengine-2-0-jogl-awt-for-the-fgf/20005/view.html

[zammbi]

Can you still use Java Webstart on command line? (javaws http://www.myprettywebsite.com/myjnlpfile.jnlp)

Not sure, I don't use them anymore since I have my laptop but that doesn't get pass the port blocker they also have   

[cylab]

Depends.

If the app is small and requires no native code (e.g. a JOGL canvas can have nasty positioning bugs as applet):
- Applet

Otherwise screenshot with "Start in Browser" and "Download and Start in separate Window" buttons. On newer JDKs/Java Plugin2 make the click on the screenshot behave like the "Start in browser" button.

[DzzD]

to avoid misunderstood of the initial pool

consider that the original question assume that both solution work well and that you are a end user (not a developer).

[Markus_Persson]

The reason I like applets is because of this game.

That.
Is.
Awesome.

to avoid misunderstood of the initial pool

consider that the original question assume that both solution work well and that you are a end user (not a developer).

If there were no technical problems, I'd much prefer applets for everything. For FPS type games, pressing a button (or pressing alt+enter) to fullscreen mode would be awesome.

[kappa]

I'd much prefer applets for everything. For FPS type games, pressing a button (or pressing alt+enter) to fullscreen mode would be awesome.

You can already do this with lwjgl applets .

[j_jerrik]

Definately applets

[DzzD]

You can already do this with lwjgl applets .

seems that you can do that with any applet (at least I am able to switch to fullscreen with 3DzzD in either Software or Hardware mode) Java 1.6-03

use F5 to toggle fullscreen on/off

http://demo.dzzd.net/HelloWorld/HelloWorld.htm

here is code to put in the Applet to switch full screen

moved to : http://www.java-gaming.org/topics/applet-switching-fullscreen-on-off/20058/view.html

[Markus_Persson]

doesn't work for me..  I get a big window, but it doesn't cover the entire screen. It's like it's been offset to the screen coordinates of the original applet.

[hishadow]

Having add/remove programs flooded with java webstart stuff is a bit annoying.

[zammbi]

Having add/remove programs flooded with java webstart stuff is a bit annoying.

Yes it is. Also you can't remove them if the Java cache is cleared.
Also seems webstart shortcut is unreliable. Each update to the jnlp file and the shortcut seems to break. Usually can be repaired by reinstalling the shortcut. But many users have no idea how to do that.

[Mickelukas]

The reason I like applets is because of this game.

That is such a nice game, ended up playing it all day yesterday.

On topic: Applets, definately.