Chapter 1: Introduction

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Overview

Java™ 2 Platform, Micro Edition (J2ME™) is the second revolution in Java's short history. When Java was introduced in 1995, it looked like the future of computing was in applets, small programs that could be downloaded and run on demand. A slow Internet forced applets out of the mainstream. Java, as a platform, did not really take off until the advent of servlets, Java programs that run on a server (essentially a replacement for CGI). Java further expanded into the server side of things, eventually picking up the moniker of Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE™). This was the first revolution, the blitz of server-side Java.

The second revolution is the explosion of small-device Java, and it's happening now. The market for small devices is expanding rapidly, and Java is important for two reasons. First, developers can write code and have it run on dozens of small platforms, without change. Second, Java has some important safety features for downloadable code.

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