MS Get Smacked on Java... again
CNet today has this story discussing the ongoing Sun-MS battle over Java licensing. This stems, if you remeber, from Microsofts addition of the AFC classes with hooks directly to the OS, bypassing the similar JFC from Sun, as well as the JNI (Java Native Interface) API for integrating OS level operation into the JVM. Microsoft has also lagged in implementing RMI technology.Much of this is now superficial as MS has stopped shipping Visual J++ and sold the product to another company for continued development. The looming question: How does Sun get its JVM on all those desktops as Netscape looses ground in what is left of the browser war? If Internet Explorers Java implementation stops at its present level it will be a great blow for the ongoing Java client development for the Internet. Some might say this is a secondary fight for Java given the strides made in both the application server and thin client/embedded markets of late, but one cannot ignore the the great base built on the web browser by Java.
