The new and improved Java SE

Great news! The long awaited Java SE 1.6u10 has finally been released.

Besides a long list of bug fixes, this new version also sets the stage for JavaFX by making Java modular. Users don't need to download the entire JRE, instead, only the modules needed for your Applet (i.e. a JavaFX RIA), will be downloaded. Should any of the Java applications executed on the user's machine need additional modules, they will be downloaded automatically.

Furthermore, Java desktop applications can now benefit of DirectX hardware accelerators out of the box and a new and modern Swing Look & Feel called Nimbus, has been added.

All in all, with the new version of Java SE, Sun's primary concern is to make the Java experience much more pleasent for end-users... and from what I can see so far, they seem to have done a good job.