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Speed

Java has made client-side computation a commonplace reality. In a classroom or many-user situation, there is clearly more power on desktops than on the server. This is especially important if we consider large groups where this scalability would be particularly important. If just the Java byte codes are downloaded, as opposed to movies or server-push animation from CGI simulation, then there will be a drastic reduction in server hits and data transfer. Thus client-side computation is essential with many slow links. Java class files are compact, typically only a few kilobytes long.

We tune the size and complexity of our Java models to the expected client performance. As technology progresses, we will be able to handle large and more interesting problems. In particular, there will be a significant performance improvement if just-in-time (JIT) compilers become widely used.



Geoffrey Fox, Northeast Parallel Architectures Center at Syracuse University, gcf@npac.syr.edu