[Pc_Support] RE: Bryan, the media is finally catching on to what you said about Longhorn

[Bryan J. Smith <b.j.smith at ieee.org>]

From: "Bryan J. Smith <b.j.smith at ieee.org>" <thebs413 at earthlink.net>
> Microsoft re-licensed Java, version 1.4, last year.

Ack, it was 2003.  Sorry.

Although a lot of media outlets reported it as "Microsoft and Sun sign
new cooperation pact" or what-not, it was clearly the re-license of
"Java 2" (1.2+) first and foremost.  All other initiatives to date have
been things built around Java -- e.g., Sun One / ADS Directory interaction,
network services, etc...

Virtually _no_ "consumer end" changes have been made -- all developer
and, to a lesser extent, network aspects are the only things involved.
On the consumer/desktop front, it's still Microsoft v. Sun.  E.g., absolutely
no StarOffice benefit has resulted from the partnership.

Which is why I thought a former LEAPsters call for a "boycott" of StarOffice
and call to use only OpenOffice.org was rather mis-guided.  Let alone
ignorant of the fact of how many people on the OpenOffice.org project
are paid Sun employees (who are dedicated/full-time to the project).

Developer alliances are forged much, much easier and with far more
openness than product alliances.  IBM and Sun are bitter enemies in
the server space right now, yet they still collaborate on Java in many
ways.  Sure, there have been differences in some areas of Java, but
most of them have been overblown in the media.  I.e., IBM and Sun
still very much work together on Java -- especially when developers
are their main consideration.

The media likes conflict and confrontation, and will lead into things
that just don't exist.  That might fly in the consumer/end-user world,
but in the developer world, cooperation is king.  Which is why the
Microsoft-Sun alliance in 2003 wasn't a surprise at all, and rather
expected by me as well as many others.

And it's also why it has _not_ made even a _dent_ when it comes
to desktop products and OSes -- the reason why some end-users were
calling for a boycott.  Because it had _nothing_ to do with it.

Companies cannot afford to not work with other companies on APIs,
developer tools, etc... these days.  To do so means cutting your own
throat.  Even Microsoft learned this on .NET, and came crawling back to
Sun with a buttload of cash as a result.


--
Bryan J. Smith   mailto:b.j.smith at ieee.org