In this chapter, we covered some of the events that led to the current, fractured applet world and set the scene as it is. The Java Plug-in is currently your best option for running Java in the browser. New technologies such as Java Web Start are starting to provide alternatives for client-side deployment that may also be appealing. Although it is tempting to try to use minimalist Java 1.1 applets as a workaround for deployment issues, it's really a losing proposition. It's best to take control of the issue from the start and use the plug-in unless you have total control of the browser environment of your users.