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Re-Java-fying Java (11/20/98)
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Looks like Java will continue on the Microsoft platform after all. Last week, a judge granted Sun another preliminary injunction in its contract infringement suit against the Redmond Giant; Microsoft has ninety days in which to alter the version of Java that it ships in its products so that it can pass Sun's compatibility tests. Since such a change affects Internet Explorer, Windows, and Microsoft's Java development products, there was some speculation floating around that Microsoft might have some trouble complying. And due to an off-the-cuff remark made by Microsoft's Paul Maritz, some people even thought that Microsoft might chuck the whole Java thing altogether, wash their hands, and be done with it.
Instead, just one day after the injunction was handed down, Microsoft announced that they'd be able to comply without too much trouble. As described in a TechWeb article, all they need to do is add JNI and RMI interfaces to their virtual machine-- which they claim is a "relatively easy" task, as far as changing software goes-- and change the default settings in their Java development products so that Microsoft-only Java extensions must be manually turned on by the user. In addition, if and when a developer does choose to use Microsoft-only Java extensions, the products will warn that the resulting program won't work on any non-Microsoft implementations of Java.
What remains to be seen is if Microsoft "complies" with this preliminary injunction in the same manner that they "complied" with the one handed down by Judge Jackson nearly a year ago. If you recall, that was when they were ordered to offer an alternate version of Windows 95 with Internet Explorer omitted. They did just that; unfortunately, that version didn't even boot, leaving PC manufacturers with very little actual choice as to which version to use. Does Microsoft have something similar up its sleeve this time? We're picturing scenarios in which developers all choose to turn on the option to use Windows-specific Java calls-- because the option is really "Allow Windows-Specific Code and the Use of the Letters 'E' and 'S' in Text Strings." Hmmm, not bad...
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SceneLink (1164)
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And Now For A Word From Our Sponsors |
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 11/20/98 episode: November 20, 1998: In today's very special all-legal episode, IMATEC's patent infringement suit against Apple will proceed to trial, and witnesses have been announced. Meanwhile, Microsoft's still dealing with its two-front legal war-- in Washington, an economist charges that Microsoft is a monopoly that can charge what it likes for its products, while back in Redmond, engineers prepare to fix Microsoft products so that their Java complies with Judge Whyte's preliminary injunction...
Other scenes from that episode: 1162: Cupertino Justice? (11/20/98) We've said it before, and we'll say it again: high-tech lawsuits make the world go 'round. While Microsoft's own entanglements with the Justice Department and Sun are the courtroom battles currently making all the headlines, let's not forget that Apple has its own share of lawsuits pending... 1163: Bleeding Them Dry (11/20/98) "Redmond Justice" has just closed out the fifth week of its new fall season, and much of the high drama seems to have left the show. Early confrontations between Microsoft lawyers and the government's star witnesses-- Netscape's Jim Barksdale, AOL's David Colburn, and even Apple's Avie Tevanian-- were occasionally acidic, often spiteful, and always just plain entertaining...
Or view the entire episode as originally broadcast... | |  |
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