Below you find an e-mail I received from Easypano. And they state that TW2.0 no longer supports Java!!!!!!!!!!!!!

disjo

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Thank you very much for your suggestion. We have taken this into
consideration.And Tourweaver 2.0 will no longer use Java, but use our
own Activex which can support Firefox.

Thanks again and if there is any other question, please contact with
us.

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Best regards,
Anne                          
support@easypano.com

Saturday, April 30, 2005, 12:26:28 AM, you wrote:

Please use both ActiveX and Java in Tourweaver 2.0.
I'm using FireFox and FireFox isn't able to load ActiveX-components.
Since FireFox spreads itself very quickly on the internet, you're ruling out a
large number of potential customers with ActiveX.

So please let us, your customers, decide what kind of tour we make, Java or
ActiveX (or maybe both?) and put both options in TW2.0.

I would like to make up one point here.

Whether TW 2.0 will use Java or not is still uncertain. It is still under discussion. But it will use Active X.

ActiveX ONLY will be the death of Tourweaver I believe it is not a trusted format.

Regards, Smooth

For me it doesn't really matter if it is supported by Firefox - Internet Explorer - PC or Mac. It is a major security risk and even Microsoft have admitted this and restricted it's use in Windows Service Pack II.

Television programs like "Call for Help" - "Attack of the Show" - (The Screen Savers) etc are telling people all the time to avoid it. What chance does a panorama maker have to convince the people viewing otherwise? FAT CHANCE

Java is used by just about every bank for Internet banking so in fact this is increasing the use of Java. I believe that ActiveX uses the program resources stored on your OWN computer and this is why the install control unit is small. So basically you have a "outside source" from the internet controlling certain components of your own computer to assist in viewing the panorama/tour.

Now if they can write a small ActiveX script to do all this good! it is just as easy for someone to write something nasty with ActiveX to do not so great things to your computer and files.

ActiveX is not self contained and thus you are taking a huge security risk using it. I'm sure Easypano would not be abusing it, but once somebody has an in - well you are asking for it.

Do a search in Google for "Security Risk ActiveX"

Quote:

http://www.russharvey.bc.ca/resources/websecurity.html

Disable ActiveX

"ActiveX is a proprietary alternative to Java designed to enhance the performance of programs and to allow for easier upgrades to the Windows operating system. However, the lack of security allows destructive programs to use this feature to access areas of your computer that they wouldn't otherwise be able to attack.

The main difference between ActiveX and Java are the permissions available to the script. ActiveX can essentially access any area of your computer. Java is more restricted in its ability to access critical areas of your system so a rogue Java script can do less potential damage than a rogue ActiveX control."

Good luck convincing people to use it!

Regards, Smooth