Caffeinated Warp





The Java WebExplorer Is Not Quite Ready For Prime Time
by: Ken Willard When I first started gathering information and looking into the Java Enhanced version of the WebExplorer, I was very excited. Java is hot, current technology and IBM was embracing it completely! So completely in fact they've published a public beta! Now, if you are excited as I was about Java technology and want to see it for yourself, all the info is available at the WebExplorer with Java Technology Demo page ([]). Essentially, to see Java-enabled web pages on your system, you need to :
 * 1) Complete a couple of on-line registrations
 * 2) Download two software packages: the Java Development Kit (runtime version) and Java WebExplorer
 * 3) Manually install the software

Yes, manually install the software, including your own CONFIG.SYS modifications for the Java Development Kit (JDK), but it's a beta, right?

The Java Development Kit runtime version that you download with the WebExplorer requires that you unzip the downloaded file into a temporary directory, examine the README file which documents how to update your CONFIG.SYS and then reboot your PC. After rebooting, you can run the Install program which will create the JDK on your system. The installation process didn't seem to be a big deal, and I thought it would be well worth it when I could see animation piped over the 'net and dropped on MY screen.

Why you shouldn't complete steps 1, 2 or 3 above:
My entire experience with the Java enabled WebExplorer was painfully disappointing. It was not able to read a single Java-enhanced page from the net for me and would crash at the end of the even the sample Java applets that were downloaded from the IBM web page.

IBM has established a listserv to provide information on a daily basis (also found at the URL above). My best recommendation is to join the list first, then make a decision as to whether you really want to do the work of installing everything. A few people on the list seemed to be having success, but they were not the majority.

What to do if you still want to try it for yourself
If you still want to try the Java experience under Warp, there is one key step that is left out of the README: Back up your WebExplorer configuration file (EXPLORE.INI) If you ever decide you like the decaffeinated blend better, you will want this file to restore, because even if you install the new WebExplorer in a separate directory, it seems to have a nasty habit of adding entries into the old WebExplorer INI file that make the file invalid for the old version. On my system, the EXPLORE.INI file is in the C:\TCPIP\ETC\ directory, but you may have changed the install path.

If you decide to pursue the Java beta, I hope you have wonderful success. The one thing I know for certain, this author won't be suing IBM because the cup of Java they served me was too hot.