Sun and Qualcomm Tweak Java for Netbooks

SAN FRANCISCO—Sun Microsystems and Qualcomm announced the early-access release of Java Platform Standard Edition 6 ported to Qualcomm's Snapdragon ARM-based processor, which provides accelerated performance on smartbooks, aka netbooks, the two companies said at the JavaOne conference here on June 4.

The new release "optimizes Java application performance and power management for Snapdragon-powered smartbooks. A free evaluation copy of this release is available for download at http://java.sun.com/javase/embedded/," Sun said in a news release. According to the release:

Sun and Qualcomm worked together for nearly a year to port a complete, optimized, and standard version of the Java SE platform onto the Snapdragon platform. Sun's implementation of the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) has been optimized for Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipsets – running over 32 times faster than earlier Java SE implementations on ARM-based chipsets.

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Company officials said, "The combination of Java SE and the Snapdragon platform provides a rich Internet and media experience with full Web browsing capabilities along with day-long battery life and ubiquitous, real-time connectivity via Wireless Wide-Area Network (WWAN), Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth technology. On this platform, Java technology will deliver thousands of personal productivity, social graph and entertainment applications optimized for great performance on Snapdragon."

"We are very pleased to have reached this milestone release," Eric Klein, vice president of Java Software Marketing at Sun, said in a statement. "Delivering an optimized Java SE release for this exciting new Qualcomm hardware platform enables customers, developers and OEM partners to leverage the power of Java and JavaFX software on smartbooks, enjoying consistent access to their Java software content and applications they use at work and at home. This release also demonstrates Sun's commitment to custom engineering services that provide partners like Qualcomm with quality solutions and rapid time to market."

"Qualcomm's Snapdragon platform is enabling a new class of devices that fundamentally redefine mobility, and by offering the Java SE platform on our Snapdragon products, our OEM partners are in a better position to deliver a compelling and consistent Java user experience on these smartbooks," said Rob Chandhok, vice president of software strategy for Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. "As Java technology is used throughout social networking, media and merchandising sites, we believe that a full Java SE port is an important factor in delivering on our vision for smartbooks."

According to Qualcomm and Sun, "Smartbooks are a new class of devices that bridge the functional divide between smartphones and laptops, delivering the best aspects of a smartphone experience on a larger-display form-factor. Constantly connected via 3G, Wi-Fi and GPS, smartbooks are ultraportable, personalizable [and] easy to use, and last all day on a single battery charge. Qualcomm's Snapdragon platform has a unique combination of capabilities that makes it exceptionally competitive in the smartbook category, which is redefining mobility for consumers at productivity and play."