DaveNet: Wednesday, June 18, 1997; by Dave Winer.

Craig Cline on Java

Craig Cline, ccline@sbforums.com, is vice president of content development for Seybold Seminars. Here are his comments in reply to Killer Clouds from earlier today.

Craig Cline on Java

Microsoft is just doing what they always do -- take a language, tweak the hell out of it so it builds excellent Windows apps (or the best that can be developed for Windows with that language), and then puts it out there and says "you choose, folks."

Given the number of Windows machines on corporate desktops this is bound to be a winning strategy, because the trend in companies is to consolidate onto one platform whenever possible, not shoot for diversity. Macs are only grudgingly supported, and then usually only for creative service and marketing types.

When I first heard that Sun had licensed Java to Microsoft, I told (Marimba CEO) Kim Polese that it wouldn't be long before Microsoft was doing Java better than Sun, and would ultimately seek to coopt it entirely by offering its tools up as alternatives to the ABM offerings. This they have done almost to the letter, with J/Direct being the logical "check" move. Sun & Company will have to play their cards perfectly now to keep this from becoming "checkmate."

One comment

My comment to Craig (and everyone else): I think it's checkmate now.

Check was the Bill Gates Java piece:

http://www.scripting.com/davenet/97/04/BillGatesonJava.html

Dave Winer