Stats from a website not featuring anything related to Java…
should give a good indication about the average user, I guess.
Sample size: 4325 unique IP addresses
`
1.4.2: 6.6%
1.5.0: 15.5%
1.6.0: 42.5%
total: 67.6%
`
so the other 32.4% either have lower than 1.4.2 or no java?
stats looking good though for 1.6, seems like people are updating.
The detection-javascript can’t manage to recognize versions below 1.4.2 - I bet it’s something with the JRE plugin architecture that changed with 1.4.2
Another way of figuring out the stats <1.4.2 was to load an applet reporting it’s “java.version” somehow, but the detection-script wasn’t allowed to have any impact on user experience, and trying to load an applet without a JRE installed is one of the most awfull user-experiences… blegh.
And well, who wants to be writing code for anything lower than 1.4.2 these days… (I know that’s a pretty bold statement.) So you’re right 32.4% has a version below 1.4.2 or no Java at all.
Keep in mind this is Spain, so it’s a few percent lagging behind other countries (statement based in lagging behind in browser versions a bit… like IE6)
[quote]stats looking good though for 1.6, seems like people are updating.
[/quote]
The “New Java version available!!” balloon from the systray (Java 1.5 and up) is apparantly so annoying that after a while people just give in 
[quote]The detection-javascript can’t manage to recognize versions below 1.4.2
[/quote]
too bad 
[quote]And well, who wants to be writing code for anything lower than 1.4.2 these days…
[/quote]
me !!, if other 32% have java under 1.4 I got 32% of more audience for 3DzzD !
Hehe, while I wrote that, I had you in mind, with your fancy 3DzzD applets
I wouldn’t expect many of those 32% will have Java though, but who knows…!