An Apple developer recently leaked the rules document governing the new Mac App Store, and the details aren't good for Oracle's Java. Over on a Pastie webpage, one line in the App Store Review Guidelines reads "Apps that use deprecated or optionally installed technologies (e.g., Java, Rosetta) will be rejected."
To add to Oracle's woes, in the most recent update of Mac OS X, Apple noted that Java would no longer come with the operating system, since the company does not approves of its use. "As of the release of Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 3, the version of Java that is ported by Apple, and that ships with Mac OS X, is deprecated," the release notes said. "This means that the Apple-produced runtime will not be maintained at the same level, and may be removed from future versions of Mac OS X."
With Flash now all but killed on all of the company's devices, is Apple targeting Java next? It's certainly not out of the question, and a possible reason is security. Microsoft recently published data showing an "unprecedented wave" of Java malware exploits during the third quarter of this year.
The news comes soon after Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the Mac App Store this week, and said it would be open for consumers in January, while developers could start submitting their creations next month. The approval process for the iOS App Store (which encompasses iPhones, iPads and iPods) is a major headache for many developers as some apps are approved in days while others are rejected after months with little or no explanation, but the Mac App Store might just be even more problematic.
In addition to the deprecation rule, and the usual bans on pornography and excessive violence, betas, demos, and trials are also off the table. The rules also say that Apple will reject apps that are similar to apps already available, have hidden features, use non-public APIs, exhibit bugs, or crash. "Apps with metadata that mentions the name of any other computer platform will be rejected," the document further adds.