Does Apple's Java move mean a less secure Mac?
Security experts are split over whether Apple's decision to hand over Java to an Oracle-backed open-source project is a good deal for Mac users.
On Friday, Apple announced it would join Oracle's OpenJDK and contribute "most of the key components, tools and technology required for a Java SE 7 implementation on Mac OS X."
The move followed Apple's earlier decision to "deprecate" Java -- in other words, to stop bundling the software with Mac OS X -- in future versions of the operating system. On Friday, Apple committed to continue shipping Java SE 6 with Mac OS X 10.6, aka Snow Leopard, and in the next edition, Mac OS X 10.7, known as Lion. The latter is set to launch in the third quarter of 2011. Apple will also patch Java SE 6 in those operating systems.
