Ron Hitchens's Blog

J2EE Archives

Cringely on Microsoft, Sun, Java and El Presidente Schwartz

I found this week's Robert X. Cringely column especially interesting. They're always interesting, but this one is about competing with Microsoft in general, and about Sun and Java in particular. It's a continuation of the previous week's column, a rather sobering look at how Microsoft is effectively untouchable by the courts.

In this followup, Cringely suggests that the only way to beat Microsoft is to ignore them. If you allow Microsoft to define the rules of the game, they'll always win. Cringely contends that Sun is falling into the same trap with the recently announced Sun-Microsoft settlement.

He offers an audacious suggestion for Sun: Use Microsoft's settlement money to give every single Sun employee a paid six week sabbatical during which they must come up with new ideas to improve Sun, or leave. Like him, I doubt they will do it. But I wonder if the Sun of ten years ago would?

Sun Wants Middleware To Go Away?

Java Developer Journal is running a press release, er, article about Sun's latest marcom that "Middleware is History". I suppose this phrase is in reaction to IBM's "Middleware is Everywhere" (witness the dueling billboards on Highway 101), but I don't think they're sending a positive message. The followups posted to this article are near universally negative.

I realize that Sun is going through some tough times and are trying to reposition themselves, but I'm afraid they're hurting Java more than helping it as they go through these various jyrations.

We need less confusion in the market about the future of Java and J2EE, not more. Redmond must just love this stuff.

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