The problem with Java applets was the slow startup time of the VM. JavaScript loaded quickly and executed immediately.
The real dominance of JavaScript started after Flash died. Starting with the iPhone, the booming smartphone didn’t support Flash. Websites needed to migrate away from depending on Browser Plugins. The only option was JavaScript. Microsoft Silverlight, Java Applets, Flash, Shockwave were all Plugins. Mobile Browsers don’t support plugins because of performance, security, and usability issues. Users of all of these platforms switched to JavaScript for lack of a better option. The introduction of electron and other JavaScript powered applications on the desktop is a long term consequence of that transition. The death of the browser plug-in had severe consequences.
The problem with Java applets was the slow startup time of the VM. JavaScript loaded quickly and executed immediately.
The real dominance of JavaScript started after Flash died. Starting with the iPhone, the booming smartphone didn’t support Flash. Websites needed to migrate away from depending on Browser Plugins. The only option was JavaScript. Microsoft Silverlight, Java Applets, Flash, Shockwave were all Plugins. Mobile Browsers don’t support plugins because of performance, security, and usability issues. Users of all of these platforms switched to JavaScript for lack of a better option. The introduction of electron and other JavaScript powered applications on the desktop is a long term consequence of that transition. The death of the browser plug-in had severe consequences.