CNET has a very detailed article on JavaFX, Sun’s better-late-than-never-maybe-hopefully answer to Adobe’s Flash / AIR and Microsoft’s Silverlight:
With a back-to-the-future technology called JavaFX to be launched Thursday, Sun Microsystems hopes to attract a new class of developer while building a much-needed new revenue source.
JavaFX 1.0 returns to the sales pitch that Sun used during Java’s launch more than 13 years ago: a foundation for software on a wide variety of computing “clients” such as desktop computers or mobile phones. JavaFX builds on current Java technology but adds two major pieces.
First is a new software foundation designed to run so-called rich Internet applications–network-enabled programs with lush user interfaces. Second is a new programming language called JavaFX Script that’s intended to be easier to use than traditional Java.
The benefit for me (and maybe you) is that most web shops have three different classes of developers: backend programmers, HTML/CSS coders, and The Flash Guy. The problem with The Flash Guy is that they have to be involved to make any changes to Flash components; JavaFX instead provides components that can easily be manipulated by coders and by web designers (with a little training I think).
The JavaFX site looks a hell of a lot better than anything Sun’s produced in the past too, so maybe they’re learning that looks matter too. Here’s some examples to play with.