(I take my) Baloney on Rye

(I take my) Baloney On Rye "Some people would rather give you a pound of baloney than an ounce of truth." - James E. Felton October 14, 1997

Some See Sun's Java Waning During Legal Fight By Samuel Perry	Our Interpretation
PALO ALTO, Calif. (Reuters) - Sun Microsystems has challenged Microsoft in court over control of Sun's Java technology but whatever the outcome, Sun's dream to make Java into universal software may already be crushed.	Sun was wise to file suit against Microsoft. No matter how the suit comes out, or how long it takes, it is important to make it clear to everyone that Microsoft's "Java" isn't Java.
Industry officials and analysts said the legal battle launched last week could drag on for years in a business where competitive advantage can be measured in weeks -- and that the outcome by then may be almost irrelevant.	It doesn't matter if the case drags on for centuries. What matters is that people understand that Microsoft's technology isn't cross-platform.
Both sides are playing the chess game well, but Microsoft has six queens," one veteran Silicon Valley executive said last week, requesting anonymity. As developers in Java, it's very important for us that we can 'write once, run anywhere'."	Six queens? I won't touch that one!
The phrase has become a mantra for Sun, which introduced Java two years ago as a way to build programs on the World Wide Web and as a technology to allow programs to run on otherwise incompatible computers.	Can't argue with that. Compatibility is very important to businesses, and consumers.
Sun's lawsuit, filed in federal court in San Jose, Calif., Tuesday, charges Microsoft, a Java licensee, with breach of its contract for allegedly leaving out certain key elements of Java in recent releases of Microsoft software.	Allegedly? There are numerous articles on the Internet, and in magazines, that explain exactly what Microsoft left out. See: How To Avoid Potential Pitfalls Of Microsoft's Non-standard SDK For Java
At issue is whether Microsoft will let Java be used to link into personal computers using Microsoft's Windows operating system, which could cut into sales of Microsoft software, analysts said.	And how can Microsoft stop it? They can't. Microsoft doesn't own the PCs it's software runs on. All Microsoft can do is bluff with FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt).
Kimball Brown at Dataquest, a San Jose research firm, said Microsoft would never allow its software programs to be operated by other computers not running Windows.	Same answer as above.
This would explain why Sun says Microsoft has left out key Java features from its recent Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 software and a development kit for computer programmers.	Sounds like Explorer needs a patch! Somebody out there get those poor Explorer users another patch! And while you're at it, there's a bunch of WebTV users that would really appreciate a virtual machine!
Java's broken as of last week," said Brown, asserting that Java will from now on be divided into the standard version which Sun owns and controls, and Microsoft's version.	Java's broken? Java is fine. It is Explorer 4 that is broken.
There's no way on earth that they're (Microsoft and Sun) going to come to an agreement. The question is whether Sun has enough of a following to keep Java alive as a platform." In addition to fighting in court, the companies are battling for the hearts and minds of computer programmers, hundreds of thousands of whom Sun claims now want Java instead of Microsoft's Windows platform.	Who cares if they come to an agreement? As long as developers continue to write cross-platform Java applications the only losers will be Explorer 4 users. Microsoft tried the same type of trickery with Microsoft Network. While the rest of the world was using MIME mail, Microsoft was using Uuencode. That's one of many reasons why Microsoft Network never caught up with AOL.
A key risk to both companies is alienating customers, many of whom want to cut technology costs.	Risk to both companies? How is Sun alienating customers by protecting it's trademark rights?
From a customer point of view it creates a lot of confusion and I think it defeats the opportunity of really liberating the Internet as a vehicle to do things better," said Zack Rinat, chief executive officer of NetDynamics.	No doubt about that. But you sure can't blame Sun. Let's all face the fact that Microsoft doesn't want to liberate the Internet. That should be clear to anyone who has used MSN, MSNBC, or the WebTV appliance!
Rinat, whose closely held company offers commercial Java applications to link diverse systems, says his business has been doubling every quarter.	And it will likely continue to double as long as his company uses cross-platform Java.
My feeling is that the customer needs to be isolated from the religious wars," he said, referring to the rhetoric flowing from both companies. At the end of the day IT (information technology) organizations need to focus on solutions to business problems, not technical issues."	Customers need to be isolated from whether Java remains cross-platform? Gee, while we're at it we could isolate ourselves from the democratic process by electing a King. I guess organizations could better focus on solutions to business problems by staying out of politics? Is that what you're saying?
Key to the plot is whether an alliance of companies led by Sun Chief Executive Scott McNealy can shake Microsoft and billionaire Chairman Bill Gates from their pedestal.	So? What's the problem? As long as they are doing it honestly by providing cross-platform solutions that benefit everyone it is a job that needs to be done.
Java could put a chink in Microsoft's armor, and Sun said it was acting on behalf of 116 other Java licensees by taking Microsoft to court.	Java is a little more than a "chink". And the only "armor" Microsoft has is low initial (OS) purchase price.
Sun executives said they were trying to lure Microsoft back into the fold, and they stopped short of threatening to revoke Microsoft's license, which could further cripple Java.	Further cripple Java? Java isn't the cripple. The cripple is Internet Explorer 4
Microsoft says it is being singled out unfairly. Charles Fitzgerald, a Microsoft Java group program manager, said the lawsuit was an outrageous" display of saber-rattling.	Microsoft is being singled out? Is there someone else out there altering Java to make it run on only one platform?
Fitzgerald vowed that Microsoft would continue full-speed ahead" with its technology development and Steve Ballmer, executive vice president at Microsoft, said Thursday he expected the lawsuit would drag on for a long time."	Yeah! Full speed ahead. Into the abyss! How long the lawsuit takes has litttle to do with anything (affecting consumers).
By then, several executives said, Microsoft could well have established its own version of Java among developers.	Several executives? Like who? Like Steve Ballmer, Charles Fitzgerald, and Bill Gates? Great! Maybe they can use their own version to communicate with each other!