Any idea when JBoss 5 will be out?

I have been using JBoss for years now, and it was one of those servers which was so easy to setup, and get it running in a few minutes. Above all the deployment was so easy, copy and paste your ear/war in the deploy directory and you are done. Anything I wanted to learn, the first app server I used to choose was JBoss. I guess many developers agree with me on this, when you had to do something in J2EE world, the first thing anyone would try was JBoss.

I am not sure JBoss is dependable anymore. Especially with the current version JBoss 5. I know it's still in beta, but it has been there since 2006. Even the latest JBoss 5.0.0 Beta3 has many problems; especially with Java 6.

With all the problems with JBoss and having no clear cut idea when the final release is due, I had to look for other options. I am glad I did, and found Oracle and GlassFish working with just no problems at all.

When I did an interview with the authors of the book "JBoss in Action", they did mention that all the features in JBoss 5 were already available in later versions of JBoss 4.

You can read the entire interview here.

To quote from the interview:
Javid : The difficult thing about putting out a book is that it starts getting outdated even before it is published (it takes 3-4 months to go through editing / printing). By the time the book is released, JBoss AS 5 should be available. By the time an organization starts standardizing on it, they'll probably have a patch or two released. In all honesty, it *is* a bit of guesswork. But, the reason we feel confident making the recommendation is that many of the technologies that will be available in JBoss AS 5 are already running in the latest versions of JBoss 4 , or as independent applications. The problems that will likely arise with these technologies in JBoss AS 5 are likely to be integration issues, which will hopefully get resolved fairly quickly.

Peter : Many of the technologies that will appear in JBoss Application Server 5.0 are already available in other versions. EJB3, the JBoss Web Server which is based on the Tomcat and the Apache Portable Runtime, and JAX-WS based web services using JBoss Web Services are already available in 4.2. JBoss Messaging can be added to 4.2. So once 5.0 comes out, many of its components will have already been tested. And because 5.0 will be Java EE 5 certified, I expect that it will generate a lot of interest from the community.

When most of the features have been already tested on earlier versions, of course not on Java 6, what's the delay?

In spite of finding alternate solutions, I still would like to use JBoss 5. I guess old habits don't go away easily right?

What are your thoughts?
Any ideas if we are going to get the final version in 2008 soon?

Book Review: Windows Vista Annoyances

I posted the review for the book "Windows Vista Annoyances" yesterday on IT Book Zone. Having purchased a new Vista laptop for my daughter, this book was timely.

In the "How To Use This Book" section, the author says "Windows Vista Annoyances" is not documentation; you can get that anywhere. Rather, it's a unique and thorough collection of solutions, hacks and time-saving tips to help you get the most from your PC". That's exactly what you will get from reading this book.

Anyone having a Windows Vista PC will find this invaluable for its tips, solutions and hacks. You will also find plenty of information on setup, installation, upgrade from other Windows versions, security features, performance, troubleshooting, and many more.

David Karp, has given us a unique guide which not only discusses the annoyances of Vista and workarounds for the same, but this book also helps you improve your experience with Windows Vista.

To read the review, chapter wise you can take a look at the review on IT Book Zone.

1. Windows Vista Annoyances on IT Book Zone