java applets

Hi,

We are researching options on which technologies to use for an advanced web application. We are planning on using DHTML as much as possible, but there are a few components that require more traditional desktop application functionality (mp3 player for example), which can't be easily accomplished through dhtml or other standard web techniques. So our list is:

1. Flash - very popular these days, but the development tools are expensive for us.
2. ActiveX - biggest downside is it runs on IE only
3. Java Applets - Preferred method because Java is our expertise

However I don't know much about the current state of Java applets as a viable solution for an application that would be used (hopefully) by millions of people all over the world with all the different browsers, etc...

Is it difficult to write an applet and have it run the same for different browsers, jvms, platforms, etc...? I know this is the whole point of Java, but I remember a time when the WORA paradigm didn't always hold true for applets...

The other myth is applets are slow. I recently used an applet, and although it took about 10 seconds to load, it only seemed to do this the first time it loaded.

Finally, is the Java "plugin" available for the most recent versions of the IE browser? Do the other browsers support Java as well? I know Firefox does...

Thanks for the enlightenment.
-Justin

p.s. The triple 3 in my email address is the spam deterrent.
.

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