February 11, 1998 |
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Driving Java |
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Greg Saltzman, the head IS person at Ziff-Davis, lends a critical view of how Java is gaining market momentum in his article Java: How long can we stomach this unripe brew? He describes the process by which start-ups develop Java products, distribute them, gain VC support, and launch successful IPOs as a bad thing carried off by arrogant, "acne-faced kids" with ponytails. Never mind that this is pretty much how Silicon Valley was built in the first place and thrives today.
The really disappointing part of the article comes near the end, where he makes his argument for not trying out Java applications: "We have a plethora of existing applications that run pretty well." MS-DOS runs "pretty well." The axiom, 'If it aint broke, don't fix it' isn't very popular in the technology industry, and certainly won't lead to much innovation.
He goes on to say, "For Java to find a home in corporate America, someone must create an application that changes the way users do their work, just as Microsoft Excel did." We're not sure Excel is the best example here...but the point is valid, and this is exactly what the aforementioned acne-faced kids with ponytails are doing. However, they're not the only ones, and it isn't only happening in start-ups. The Java marketplace is also being driven by some pretty well established companies and respected individuals that the article doesn't seem to consider.
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