Briefly: Mac OS X Java updates; Wintek iPhone orders; iPad estimate raised

Java update

Java for Mac OS X 10.5 Update 10 and Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 5 improve compatibility, security and reliability. 64-bit capable Intel-based Macs are update from Java SE 6 to 1.6.0_26 in both Mac OS X 10.6 and Mac OS X 10.5, while Update 10 for Mac OS X 10.5 offers an update to J2SE 5.0 for older Macs.

The Snow Leopard update is a 75.45MB download, while the Leopard update weighs 120.33MB. Users must quit any web browsers and Java applications before installing the updates.

Apple announced last year that the version of Java ported by Apple and ships with Mac OS X is deprecated. "This means that the Apple-produced runtime will not be maintained at the same level, and may be removed from future versions of Mac OS X," the company wrote in release notes for an earlier Java update.

The Cupertino, Calif., Mac maker also blocks Java apps from its Mac App Store. "Apps that use deprecated or optionally installed technologies (e.g., Java, [PowerPC code requiring] Rosetta) will be rejected," Apple's guidelines read.

Wintek orders

A new report from Taiwan's DigiTimes claims Apple plans to increase orders of iPhone touch panels from Wintek in the third quarter of 2011, possibly bringing in $41.5 million to $51.9 million in revenue for the supplier.

Wintek remains one of Apple's larger touch panel contributors and is estimated to provide the iPhone maker with as many as 2.4-2.6 million small-size panels per month in the June quarter. According to the manufacturer, demand from smartphone and tablet PC firms was moderate in the first half of the year, though shipments have grown in the second quarter.

The manufacturer saw a 40 percent sequential sales increase in March, driven in part by a strong production ramp for the iPad 2.

Wintek made headlines last year when 44 workers sued the company over alleged poisoning from N-hexane, a glass-cleaning chemical. The company responded by asserting that it had examined and treated the workers and taken proper measures in response to the incident.

iPad estimate

Morgan Keegan analyst Tavis McCourt issued a noted on Tuesday raising his second quarter iPad estimate from 6.5 million to 8.5 million and his full-year estimate from 25.5 million to 30 million units, as noted by Barron's. The analyst cited "various data points" as reasons for the adjustment.

Along with the iPad boost, McCourt raised his iPhone estimate for the quarter to 17 million units, up from 16 million, while also cutting his September quarter estimate from 22 million to 19 million. He sees Apple posting $103.7 billion revenue this year, $1.5 billion more than his prior estimate.

McCourt reiterated the firm's Outperform rating, bumping his price target for Apple shares from $462 to $80. Apple's stock gained nearly 1 percent on Tuesday to close the day at $335.26.

Morgan Keegan's estimates align with updated estimates from Needham & Co. analyst Charlie Wolf. He also boosted projections on Tuesday after higher-than-expected demand for the iPad 2.

Wolf sees Apple selling 9 million iPads in the June quarter and 30 million total in fiscal 2011. The analyst's revised 2011 revenue estimate of $103.7 billion differs from McCourt's new estimate by just $100 million.

Wall Street has been rife with speculation as analysts have taken sides this week over reports that Apple may release a $350 contract-free iPhone in September. Following the report, several analysts cast doubt on the rumor, while others have corroborated it.