Java version 6 update 2 (internally 1.6.0.2) is now available. What version of the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) are you running in your browser? Does it matter?
To find out your JRE version, just click here. So does it matter what version you are running?
Typically the newer versions contain more features, bug and security fixes, and improvements.
As the newer versions are usually better, you should upgrade when possible. And version 6 boosts quite a significant performance improvement over version 5. I was quite surprised by how much faster it is.
The only thing to stop you is that some site that you need to use does not work with the new version. In that case, you may want to send them some feedback to upgrade their site.
However, do note that installing/upgrading to the new version does not usually remove the older versions. Therefore, it is possible for attackers to exploit known bugs in older versions. So unless you need the older versions, uninstall them. In addition to avoiding the attacks, you also save on disk space!
So what are you waiting for? Run along and now and experience the difference! By the way, unless you do java development, you only need to install the JRE and not the JDK – it’s a much smaller download. Have fun!
