Java For Mac: Equal At Last

Earlier this year, the FlashBack trojan spread quickly, infecting more than 500,000 Macs, because Apple was too slow in preparing and getting Java security patches out. With Oracle now delivering Java for Mac direct, rather than first passing code through Cupertino, hopefully Java-based malware will become a distant memory.

Oracle has announced that a Java SE 7 Update 6 for Mac is available now — day and date with other major operating systems.

“Oracle continues to expand our support for the Java platform and now, for the first time, consumers and developers have access to the latest Java SE features and security updates across all major operating systems: Windows, Linux, Solaris and Mac OS X,” said Hasan Rizvi, senior vice president, Fusion Middleware and Java Products, Oracle.

That said, Java SE 7 Update 6 for Mac is can be downloaded here — it’s NOT available via Software Update or Apple’s downloads page. So, go get it, install and breath easier.

Here’s hoping that getting Java for Mac direct from Oracle will prevent another FlashBack trojan from happening — the combination of faster updates and the Mac’s still small market share could combine to deliver serious protection for the rest of us…

What’s your take?