QuackNews is written using the Java programming language and requires a JVM, a java runtime environment. Also required is a web browser or HTML viewing application that can display files from the devices local files system.
The JVM needs to support one of the following specifications:
- JSR 62: Personal Profile Specification
- Personal Java
- J2SE 1.2 +
There are a number of JVMs that are documented to be compatible with QuackNews system requirements. These include
- Sun J2SE JVM version 1.2 + (Solaris, Windows, Linux, Mac OS X)
- Jeode (Sharp Zaurus)
- IBM's J9 JVM (Not tested)
There are other JVMs that that seam to be no longer available, but may be installed on older devices. There is documentation available on the internet that implies that there is a version of the Jeode JVM, written by Insignia, that was available for the iPaq and older Dell Axim PDAs.