Post date: Nov 22, 2008 12:33:14 PM
Java 2 version 1.5 or later is recommended for all versions of jEdit. Before installing jEdit, make sure you have a compatible Java virtual machine; see the compatibility page for details.
Even if you're "just a user", you should still try the development version. There are many enhancements and bugfixes. Further, you will see more (and more recent versions of) plugins from 4.3preX's plugin manager.