Introduction

You have been directed to this page because you are using the Safari browser on the Macintosh operating system OSX.

Interactivate applets have been optimized for Java version 1.4.2 Update 2 installed on your machine*. If you have Java version 1.1 or higher but less than Java version 1.4.2 Update 2, you may still load and run our applets, but you may experience difficulties with the applet graphics. Java version 1.4.2 Update 2 resolves the vast majority of these issues.

If you do have Java version 1.4 or higher installed on your computer, and are still unable to view our material after restarting your system, please complete this form It would be helpful for us to know any messages appearing on your console. To open your console,

  1. Open the Applications Folder.
  2. Open the Utilities Folder.
  3. Double Click on "Console".

*Determining which version of Java is on your machine:

Launch the terminal window by opening your Applications folder -> Utilities Folder -> Terminal.

Type java -version

and press return. The output should look like this if you have Java 1.4.2 Update 2 installed: 
 
java version "1.4.2_05"
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.4.2_05-141)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.4.2-38, mixed mode)
In order to install Java 1.4.2 Update 2, you must have Mac OS 10.3.4 or higher previously installed on your computer. If you do not meet this criteria, you may either purchase Mac OS 10.3 (also known as Mac OSX Panther) from Apple, Inc. at http://www.apple.com/macosx or settle for a version of Java which does not offer as much performance as Java 1.4.2 Update 2. After you have Mac 10.3 installed on your system, you will likely need to upgrade to Mac 10.3.4 or higher so that you may install Java 1.4.2 Update 2. There is no charge to upgrade to a later version of Mac 10.3, like Mac 10.3.4, for users who already have any other Mac 10.3 operating system already installed.

To determine if you need to upgrade to Mac 10.3.4 or higher after you have installed Mac 10.3:

  1. Select Software Update from the Apple Menu.
  2. If a newer version of Mac OS 10.3 than what you have is available, it should be listed. If it is Mac 10.3.4 or higher, make sure it has a check mark next to it. At the time of the latest Interactivate release, Apple's latest released operating system was Mac 10.3.5.
  3. Click Install.
  4. A newer operating system download and install on your computer. (Please be patient.)
  5. Restart your computer.
Now that you have restarted your computer under Mac 10.3.4 or higher, you may now install Java 1.4.2 Update 2, again free of charge. The procedure is similar to upgrading to Mac 10.3.4 or higher.
  1. Select Software Update from the Apple Menu.
  2. Java 1.4.2 Update 2 should be one of the software options (unless there is a newer Java release since this writing). Make sure it has a check mark next to it.
  3. Click Install.
  4. The Java Update will download and install on your computer. (Please be patient.)
  5. Restart your computer.
After you restart your system you should see an improvement in the performance of Interactivate applets running under Safari.

If you do not have Mac 10.3 but you are using Safari:

If you don't have Mac OS 10.3, then you will need to install the latest version of Java which your operating system can support, which is Java 1.4.1.

Installing Java 1.4.1

  1. Select Software Update from the Apple Menu.
  2. Make sure the latest version of Java has a check mark next to it.
  3. Click Install.
  4. Java 1.4.1 will download and install on your computer.
  5. Restart your computer.

Verification of Installation

After you have installed updated Java, launch the terminal and type 

java -version.
Your computer should now report an updated version of Java, the precise version depending on your Mac OSX version. You should now be ready to view Shodor developed applets in Safari with the best capability your system can support. If you have any questions, please complete this form.