By using Java, you don't need to purchase a different product copy for every operating system. LiveLetter uses the JDK 1.1.x, which had not been released on the Mac when it was developed. LiveLetter is a Java application and therefore requires a properly installed Java environment to run. JRE is the better choice since it is easy to install, contains optimized class files, more compatable with other Java environments that might be installed on your machine. Since there are many JRE versions, LiveLetter comes with the appropriate JRE version that best functions with LiveLetter.
Applets are small programs which can be embedded in web browser pages.
The JDK class files are used by developers to develop applications but are not optimized for performance. This JRE is used to distribute and run Java applications on, rather than, used to develop Java applications, since the Java development components are not included. The JRE is optimized for performance and size, is self-contained, and more compatable with other Java environments that may be installed on your machine. This results in slow application loading but once loaded, faster run time. If you can't find the information you need on using LiveLetter from the support pages, write to our Support .