JRuby

Well, since I seem to be stuck in this dilema of sticking with Java or switching to Ruby, news of JRuby successfully running Ruby on Rails is enticing. Would be nice to stick with Java but be able to benefit from using Ruby as well... It sounds like the next release (0.9.1) will be the one to test out.

Java IDE

I've been using Eclipse for a while now for Java development. I've even used it for C++ and Perl development via plugins. But I'm now considering stepping up to MyEclipse 5.0 and paying the $30 or $50 per year for all the added features. Did a little research and overall it sounds like people really like MyEclipse. It sounds like NetBeans is pretty good too, but I'm already used to Eclipse. And IntelliJ IDEA got good ratings as well, but it is a lot more expensive.

So, I plan to spend a bit more time seeing what is possible with just plain Eclipse and additional plugins such as the Eclipse Web Tools Platform (WTP). I don't think it will reach the level of MyEclipse, but it might suit my needs. Hmmm, I wonder if there is a Ruby plugin for Eclipse.

Also, it seems like AppFuse might be very useful. I believe it has Eclipse integration. Need to find out for sure. Also, see if there is any MyEclipse integration for it.