• Improved performance, stability, and security
• Full support for Windows 7 and Vista
• Better compatibility with previous releases of Java
• Applications gain improved look and feel.
• Auto-update feature provides rapid access to critical fixes.
• Lots of bug fixes

Secure Versioning

In Java 6, unsigned Java Web Start applications that specify a version other than the most current will trigger a security warning, requiring explicit user permission before the application will run. Signed Java Web Start applications are not affected.

Cache and System Format

The application caching mechanism has been upgraded. Existing applications in the Java Web Start cache will be upgraded and converted to the new cache format the first time you run a Java Web Start application

Download Engine and Cache Consolidation

• Caching can be disabled via an option within the Java Control Panel.
• Java Web Start honors the maximum cache size set using Java Control Panel.
• Java Web Start can start a cleanup thread to remove Least Recently Used (LRU) items from the cache when approaching the maximum cache size.
• The no-cache directive is now supported. When the no-cache directive is used, an update check ensures that the cached contents are the same as at the URL. The resource is then downloaded into the cache and the expiration field is ignored.
• The expiration-date is supported. If a downloaded resource contains an expiration date, it will not be used after that date.

Other Enhancements

• All dialogs and screens of Java Web Start and Java Plug-in are redesigned to be more user friendly, intuitive, and accessible.
• Java Web Start and Java Plug-in now support CRL (Certificate Revocation Lists) and OCSP (Online Certificate Status Protocol) for verifying the certificates.
• Java Control Panel provides an option to select the default SSL handshaking protocol. The default is set to SSLv3 and SSLv2. You can also change it to TSL.
• The Java Console is no longer modal. By using the new modality features of AWT in Java 6, you can interact with the Java Console even when your application is displaying a modal dialog.

Features added to Java 6 Update10

• Enhanced Deployment: Java 6 update10 introduced the Java Deployment Toolkit (DT). Java DT is used by Java applets and applications to help manage getting the right version of Java for user's system. This makes it easy to detect user's Java environment, as well as Java platform deployment. See Java Deployment Toolkit. for more information.
  
• New Online Installer: The Java Kernel online installer lets first time Java users run applets and Java Web Start applications quicker without waiting for the whole Java to be downloaded. This installation mechanism lets the end user get up and running significantly faster, while the complete Java installation takes place in the background. See Java Kernel FAQ for more information.
  
• Enhanced Auto update: The Java auto update has also been improved, using a patch-in-place mechanism that translates in a faster and more reliable update process. Each update release will no longer be listed as separate items in the Windows 'Add or Remove Programs' dialog and will no longer consume additional disk space.
  
• Java Quick Starter: This feature loads portions of Java into memory, substantially decreasing the average cold start-up time. See Java Quick Starter for more information.
  
• Hardware acceleration support: New hardware accelerated graphics pipeline based on the Microsoft Direct3D 9 API, translate into improved rendering of Swing applications which rely on translucency, gradients, arbitrary transformations, and other more advanced 2D operations.
  
• Next-Generation Java Plug-In : Java 6 update10 includes a brand-new implementation of the Java Plug-in. This Java Plug-in runs Java applets outside of the browser in one or more separate processes. Java applets still appear inside of the web browser window as they always have, but now it is possible to use different Java versions, command-line arguments, and configurations to run different applets. Learn how to switch between old and new plug-in