Brainstorm

Delivering Java ME to Fremantle

Posted on 2009-10-19 08:18 UTC by Claus Feichtinger. Status: Under consideration, Categories: Games, Utilities, System, Programming.

The purpose of this proposal is to assess the demand and determine the best way to deliver a Java ME - runtime for Fremantle / Maemo 5.

A MIDP - compatible Java ME runtime is present on most of today's smartphones, nearly all of the latest Nokia devices are delivered with Java ME available.

It is an established technology with a big developer base, there are many Applications and Games available, but currently there is no easy way for endusers to be able to run their MIDlets on the new Maemo 5 Platform.

Ideally, this brainstorm proposal results in a Java ME Package available in the Fremantle-Repositories for easy distribution through the Maemo 5 App Manager.

The thread that sparked this proposal:
Java for Maemo 5

This is not supposed to be yet another "Nokia should do it" proposal - if you want an implementation, please vote not only for the "Nokia-option", but place a 2nd vote on your favourite community solution so we will know where to invest our time first, should Nokia really decide not to buy an official License.

Solutions for this brainstorm

Solution #1: Nokia provides Java ME

Posted on 2009-10-19 08:23 UTC by Claus Feichtinger.

Nokia buys the needed royalities for providing an official Java ME implementation for the new Platform.

+) Official implementation, official support
+) According to a member of the Java Runtime Team at Nokia, some work on this port has already been done.
-) Probably quite expensive
-) Closed license

Solution #2: Community ports PhoneME

Posted on 2009-10-19 08:31 UTC by Claus Feichtinger.

PhoneME (more info) is the open-source variant of Sun's Java ME. It utilizes mostly the same codebase as the official implementation, but grants more liberty in the ways it is licensed. It is not full GPL yet though, as there are still binary components present in this distribution.

+) GPL
-) No Maemo community team as of yet
-) No "official" implementation, meaning Nokia cannot advertise Maemo 5 as being "Java compatible".
-) No info regarding the compatibility with Sun's commercial reference implementation

Solution #3: port a Java SE runtime, and make MicroEmu available

Posted on 2009-10-19 08:40 UTC by Claus Feichtinger.

MicroEmu is a Java ME emulator written purely in Java. It is capable of running Java ME Applications and MIDlets inside a Java SE runtime.

+) GPL
-) No Maemo community team as of yet
-) No "official" implementation, no advertising
-) No info regarding the compatibility
-) due to the added emulation layer and the big SE runtime probably slower

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