Java - Do i really need it??

I have a message "Java Update available"

before i install it - i know it runs java games but do i really need it??

Is there anything at all i'm likely to miss if i uninstall it?

Up to you. Lots of web pages won't work properly or at all without Java.
Updates usually contain improved security.

---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

JethroUK© wrote:
> I have a message "Java Update available"
>
> before i install it - i know it runs java games but do i really need it??
>
> Is there anything at all i'm likely to miss if i uninstall it?

JethroUK© wrote:
> I have a message "Java Update available"
>
> before i install it - i know it runs java games but do i really need it??
>
> Is there anything at all i'm likely to miss if i uninstall it?

Usually there is an update because the previous version has
vulnerabilities. I would update if I were you and remove the old versions.

Alias

JethroUK,
Install the update.
Karl

"JethroUK©" <> wrote in message
news:...
>I have a message "Java Update available"
>
> before i install it - i know it runs java games but do i really need it??
>
> Is there anything at all i'm likely to miss if i uninstall it?

I have never missed having Java installed.
You could uninstall and wait until you encounter the need.
Then you can decide if you want-need it.

mae

"JethroUK©" <> wrote in message
news:...
|I have a message "Java Update available"
|
| before i install it - i know it runs java games but do i really need it??
|
| Is there anything at all i'm likely to miss if i uninstall it?

Leonard Grey wrote:

> JethroUK© wrote:
>> I have a message "Java Update available"
>>
>> before i install it - i know it runs java games but do i really need it??
>>
>> Is there anything at all i'm likely to miss if i uninstall it?

> Up to you. Lots of web pages won't work properly or at all without Java.
> Updates usually contain improved security.

Actually it's not the web pages that would have a problem since they use
Javascript, not Java. Only if a web site pushes a Java applet through
your browser, and assuming you want to locally execute those Java
programs, would you need a Java interpreter on your host. Don't confuse
Javascript with Java just because they share a substring. They aren't
anymore related to each other than Word is to WordPerfect or Outlook is
to Outlook Express.

Java is NOT Javascript

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Javascript
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_programming

Javascript won't prompt for an update. Javascript is an interpreter
built into the web browser. It would be the web browser itself that
would prompt for an update. However, Java is a separate interpreter
from the web browser and it may prompt for an update.

If you want to see an example of a Java applet, visit
http://www.chron.com/xword that runs a crossword Java applet. The OP
never bothered to mention an example web site where he plays those
"games" but it is likely they use Java to execute them (versus
Javascript for the web page behaviors).

VanguardLH wrote:
> Alias wrote:
>
>> JethroUK© wrote:
>>> I have a message "Java Update available"
>>>
>>> before i install it - i know it runs java games but do i really need it??
>>>
>>> Is there anything at all i'm likely to miss if i uninstall it?
>> Usually there is an update because the previous version has
>> vulnerabilities. I would update if I were you and remove the old versions.
>>
>> Alias
>
> Or because new features have been added. Or new methods (functions)
> have been added. Or speed was improved. Or stability was improved.
> Or new functionality was added. Or ...

Key word that I used: "usually".

Alias

Alias wrote:

> JethroUK© wrote:
>> I have a message "Java Update available"
>>
>> before i install it - i know it runs java games but do i really need it??
>>
>> Is there anything at all i'm likely to miss if i uninstall it?
>
> Usually there is an update because the previous version has
> vulnerabilities. I would update if I were you and remove the old versions.
>
> Alias

Or because new features have been added. Or new methods (functions)
have been added. Or speed was improved. Or stability was improved.
Or new functionality was added. Or ...

JethroUK© wrote:

> I have a message "Java Update available" before i install it - i know
> it runs java games but do i really need it?? Is there anything at all
> i'm likely to miss if i uninstall it?

Installing an "update" may result in installing a new version. This can
result in having multiple versions installed. Sometimes it is required
to have an old version for compatibility with an old program, but few
users actually have Java programs installed on their hosts and instead
they end up downloading Java applets that run locally (so the site
should be ensuring their applet works with the latest version). Usually
only Java software developers need to have around the old versions.

Rather than update, uninstall [all versions of] the old Java
interpreter[s] and install the latest one.

http://developers.sun.com/downloads/top.jsp
or
http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp
(Unless you develop in Java, you only need the JRE).

If you don't want to know about updates (or check for them yourself when
you choose) and don't want to waste the memory having their updater
always running in memory, go to Control Panel -> Java, Update tab, and
uncheck the automatic update option.

You only need the Java interpreter if you install or download Java-based
programs to your host. This also means if you visit web sites that
download and locally execute Java applets on your host. For an example
of a Java applet, see http://www.chron.com/xword for a crossword site
that uses Java. Java always runs locally either because you installed a
Java-based program or downloaded it (which may have been downloaded by a
web site).

Javascript is often confused with Java, like Outlook Express is confused
with Outlook. They are not the same. Javascript is the scripting
interpreter built into the web browser and many web pages use it. Not
having a Java interpreter will not interfere with the web browser
running Javascript in a web page. See my other post as a reply to
Leonard in this thread.

"Alias" <aka@masked&anonymous.cl> wrote in message
news:g656o3$b85$...
> VanguardLH wrote:
>> Alias wrote:
>>
>>> JethroUK© wrote:
>>>> I have a message "Java Update available"
>>>>
>>>> before i install it - i know it runs java games but do i really need
>>>> it??
>>>>
>>>> Is there anything at all i'm likely to miss if i uninstall it?
>>> Usually there is an update because the previous version has
>>> vulnerabilities. I would update if I were you and remove the old
>>> versions.
>>>
>>> Alias
>>
>> Or because new features have been added. Or new methods (functions)
>> have been added. Or speed was improved. Or stability was improved.
>> Or new functionality was added. Or ...
>
> Key word that I used: "usually".
>
> Alias
Key word - LIAR