3D modelling?  Accounting/Payroll?
Solitaire?  What?

JApplet

If you can do that, your clients
can run your app from any browser
with or without Java - wider potential
audience..

Volume/length of use, size of user base
(600-700 other qns)?

Applets have a much tighter security
wrapped around them than an application,
they must be signed to do any serious
networking, any file I/O..  What does
your app. actually do?

I guess drawbacks will depend on the nature of your app. Any requisite
for a regular applet that your app can't meet will be a drawback.

If you use swing, you'll build a JApplet, and this will require java
plugin on clients. You will most likely need access to local resources
beyond the sandobox limits, so you will need to sign your applet. This
is easyly done  with the jarsigner tool from the jdk, with your own
certificate.

Application size may be an issue but, again, it depends on where you
expect the applet to be used (internet, lan..?).

You'll have to check any dependencies. Your runtime environment will
be different now, and you hav to assure that any dependencies are
bundled with the applet or otherwise accesible, and are  working
properly under new conditions.

If your app does things like custom configuration handling using local
resources, they should be checked too. You can end up having your
applet creating config files right on the desktop, and funny things
like that.

Also, the new environment can be a very different experience for the
user. If your app creates many dialogs, you should make sure the user
understands the difference between the browser windows and other
dialogs, specially if they are modeless. Keep in mind that an applet
can be easly dismissed by the user issueing browser navigation
commands (even by accident :D). On the other hand, modal dialogs will
suspend the browser (not just the applet).

And, of coursel, If your app isn't already, you'll have to pack it in
a jar file, along with it's resources, but this is allways a good
idea.

It is indeed possible, and if it really makes sense for your app to
run as an applet, you'll probably make it with little efort. And it
can be a very pleasant experience to see an app in this new dress :-)

znôrt