(So Apple's updated Java v 6 is "equivalent" to Oracle's Java v 7?)
No, the Java version numbers are the same across platforms/OSes, and indicate different functionalities not unlike different OS versions. So there is both an Apple and an Oracle Java version (1.)4, 5 and 6 to name just a few, but there is only an Oracle Java version 7, because Apple didn't develop one. Apple's version 6 is equivalent to Oracle's version 6, but the latter isn't available for Mac OS X. And as I mentioned above, Apple's version releases trailed Sun's/Oracle's by quite some time.
[
The Java platform consists of several program components, including a development kit (JDK) for Java developers and a runtime environment (JRE) for client computers. The JDK and the corresponding JRE have the same version number too, regardless of platform.]
Altogether there have been eight (somewhat oddly numbered)
main versions of Java, the most current of which is 7. Each version has multiple minor updates. Since these versions differ in functionality, certain Java apps may only run on a particular version. This is both possible and practical, because different Java versions (read JREs) may be present simultaneously on a particular computer, and apps pick a compatible version from that list.
Because of this, depending on your needs as defined by the Java programs you want to run, you may have to have several Java versions installed at the same time. The 'old' Java Prefs utility will list them under its
General tab, and allow you to turn each on on or off at will. Presumably, the new System Prefs panel will do the same (I can't check right now
*). Regardless which one you use, this setting will affect which Java programs can run.
Things got a tad more complicated now this choice may have to be made for both security and functionality reasons. The former is critical for web based apps accessed via your browser, something you should be
extremely reluctant to do. I wouldn't want to run
any Java app on the web with anything less than the most current version of the latest JRE (Oracle's v7) and only when I'm 200% sure the server is clean and safe. Security is much less of an issue when running local Java apps
** present on your Mac, as long as they don't require internet access, and your Mac is clean.
*) Likewise, I have not been able to verify if the current Java System Prefs panel allows both Apple (e.g., 5, 6) and Oracle (7) versions to coexist, but I'd expect that to be possible.
**) See
this post in the Lounge's Cyber-Security thread for examples.
