"Given the fact software is a feel-good activity for Sun that generates tiny revenue, and JavaFX is lagging rich internet application (RIA) strategies from Microsoft and Adobe, this is surely one area any manager looking to cut costs would chose to rationalize."

Don't know about that...I don't know much about the RIA space but I will say that JavaFX has me intrigued. As far as I can tell, JavaFX is/will be the only platform that is truly cross-platform, and, open source, yes? Apps can be ported to mobile devices too with a JavaFX API for mobile devices, so I've heard. Could JavaFX be the RIA dark horse?

I could have this wrong but I have read that Sun plan on open sourcing the On2 A/V codecs for cross platform audio and video playback, but, developers have the option of using native multimedia APIs if desired (QT, WIMP etc). Sounds like best of both worlds to me!

On top of which the latest Java Update 10 has slashed load times - I was shocked and stunned when viewing the Java demos below; "Flash-like" was the term that sprang to mind. Actually, "Quartz-composer-like" was the term that flashed to mind when looking at the particle generator demo in particular - and unlike Quartz Composer it really is cross platform :)

http://www.interactivepulp.com/pulpcore/particles/

http://www.interactivepulp.com/pulpcore/sketch/

http://www.pulpgames.net/milpa/

http://www.interactivepulp.com/pulpcore/