Something to think about
Sun Microsystems and Microsoft, two companies locked in what many IT people see as 'a fight to the death'. Neither wants the other to exist, and that's that. 
 
Sun had filed injunction after injunction to sidetrack the Win98 release date, and all were ill fated. Each company has publicly made mant complaints about each other over the last few years. Sun viewing Microsoft as the devil within the software industry and Microsoft dispelling Java as a new expendable toy, that will eventually get thrown to the back of the cupboard like an old frisbee. 
 
Microsoft has an in-bred urge to suffocate all that oppose it. It is difficult at times to comprehend why people stick with their products, I've always thought that half the time there are no options. The PC platform is very standard and that scares a lot of Mac users, who live and breathe their computing freedom.  On the other hand Microsoft is a very successful company no matter how they made their money, the number one desktop OS, the number one best selling office suite, and the list goes on.
 
The month of May and June sparked new bickering between the two companies when Sun filed another injunction against the release of Win98. This time, as so many times before, it was aimed at M$ frivolous abuse of pure Java and the way it is implemented in Win98 applications. Microsoft wants Java to run its way and,to an extent, not the way intended by it's creator.The virtual machine that will run as part of the components in Internet Explorer are being integrated tighter into the operation system with each update, producing a browser motivated operational architecture.
 
Sun, who had access to the IE browser code cried "foul", all is not as they wished and M$ is in breech of licensing terms. Sun, often fanatical at times, wants Java 110% as intended or not at all. There has been nothing but tactful arrogance on the matter from Microsoft's camp. "Sun believes they are the only company that possesses the skills to build a Java virtual environment" is the shout that's heard flying around with regularity from the Redmond PR department.
 
Although nine out of ten times money talks for Microsoft,  it seems, has the attitude of "if you can't buy it build your own". If M$ can build their own virtual solution, the link with Java would surely be severed, no more compliancy hassles. Freeing itsself from the constant biting around the ankles from Sun Microsystems. There have been unreported, but not unfounded suggestions that M$ is developing its own cross platform solution, its own code, its own way. From the reports thus far, it all points to a virtual machine that will run on any computer, making cross platform easier and eliminating the need for Java totally, overnight the beans could disappear. 

The implications for Sun losing 90% of desktop access would be a sucker punch. Sun has to delicately balance their woes with M$ or lose out on the bigger developments. Sure, Java code has had an impact on certain IT aspects but has yet to generate the interest so carefully hoped for, its potential can only be fulfilled if users are given easy access to it.
 
This poses many solutions for Mac owners to ponder, access to the hidden software from most computer shops for one. I'd much rather all the software developed was compatible, than makeing my machine "standard". Do you, like me, dream of a day when you could go into any large computer vendor anywhere in the world and have a choice of hundreds of titles rather than just clip art and mouse mats?  

If Microsoft could deliver on this I won't be changing my OS anytime soon but I would certainly buy more software. I cheer for anyone who can make my Mac faster, more reliable and more productive. Could Raptel have been the missing link?.

Darren Edwards
Editor 1984 Apple OnLine Magazine 
darren@1984-online.com Hope you enjoy the changes this month. 
I've spent much too long in Photoshop and had far too much Coffee. 
Same time, same place next month.