UPDATED. The regularly scheduled quarterly security updates for Java on July 15 will not include updates for Windows XP, which is now formally unsupported by Oracle.

On the surface, removing Java from Windows XP looks like a blow to Sun, cutting off an important distribution channel for Java.

Meanwhile, in what led to Sun's $1 billion antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft, the Redmond, Wash. software giant modified Java for Windows.

Back-end computers are more likely to use Windows alternatives like Linux and Sun's Solaris, playing into Java's strengths of platform neutrality.

Windows users can check for the program in the Add/Remove Programs listing in Windows, or visit Java.com and click the “Do I have Java?” link on the homepage.

Java installs perfectly fine on Windows 10 running on non-Apple hardware. As such for the windows specialist guy I contacted before I posted here, the issue is considered a Mac issue and he could ...