Well, there's good news and bad news for Java TM software developers. The bad news is this breakneck pace has left some developers, and the vendors who supply tools to developers, a bit weary. More good news is that, as developers demanded new and enhanced capabilities to facilitate more sophisticated applications, Sun and its Java technology partners responded very quickly indeed. The Java software industry has consistently spoken with two voices over the last couple of years. On the other hand, developers wanted greater consistency and stability, having been frustrated by a constantly moving target presented by the rapid change.
Nothing indicates the maturation of a development platform like the emergence of point tools.
The truly good news for Java software developers is that, beginning with the upcoming release of JDK TM 1.2, the Java platform reaches a new level of stability and completeness, so that developers can expect only about one major release per year. Java software developers and their tool vendors will have a host of enterprise-class functionality with which to work, and improved performance in the JDK, as well as additional performance with Java HotSpot TM Performance Engine. Perhaps most significantly, developers and tool vendors will have time to digest the new features and focus on refining products for greater stability and robustness. In short, developers will gain both the capabilities and the consistency they have been looking for. Looking at just the core Java APIs, note that they have more than doubled between JDK 1.0 and 1.1, and more than tripled between 1.1 and the current beta version of JDK 1.2.