Related link: http://www.newsalert.com/bin/story?StoryId=CoTU_WeSbmdeWmJu5mtu

It’s amazing to see features in technology newspapers and magazines that think Microsoft’s .NET strategy intimidates Sun Microsystems, its Java licensees and Apache’s open source Java license. I get the impression that most of these reporters still think of Microsoft as a monopoly of some sort. They would be correct, if they only consider the desktop PC where the Windows OS still has around a 90% market share.

However, the .NET strategy is a platform dedicated to the programming and development of the network computer where applications run on the server, not the client. For now, it depends primarily on the success of the Windows OS for the server (Windows NT, Windows 2000 Server edition, etc.). Unfornately for Microsoft, the server-side Windows OS has only a 12 -15% market share, clearly a minority player in this area. That’s because developers do not like the Windows OS as a server-side platform. It’s performance poor; has high overhead; uses too many resources; and lacks interoperability with other OS environments.

Therefore, Microsoft’s .NET platform is in doubt, unless they seriously consider most of the following suggestions:

• Improve Windows OS server performance and add interoperability with other OS environments.
• Develop a Windows-flavored Linux (Winux).
• Develop a new Windows OS with a Linux Kernel (i.e., similar to Mac OS X which will use a BSD Kernel).
• Make Visual Basic and its IDE a true cross-platform programming language and tool.
• Make C# (C-Sharp) a true cross-platform programming language instead of its current application as a converting language from Java to a Windows-only Java development (J++).
• The above should also apply to ASP(+), ADO(+), etc.
• The .NET Visual Studio (IDEs) will incorporate the changes above.
• Open source the VB, C#, ASP(+) and ADO(+) programming languages, components and API

If not, then the server-side OS will continue to be dominated by UNIX, Linux (and all its flavors) and Solaris, as evidenced by the Java licensees’ Web Application Server market share, at around 90%.

Related link: http://www.openp2p.com/pub/a/p2p/2001/04/25/jxta.html

JXTA probably should be jXTA, given the following reasons based on today’s announcement. I believe this for two reasons:

First, JXTA probably should be jXTA, given the emphasis on its XML foundation. Looking at the architecture in Rael Dornfest’s (O’Reilly Network Maven and JXTA Technical Advisor) article on JXTA Takes Its Position, it’s clear that the JXTA technology layer consists of XML as a facilitator between the peer-to-peer networking and the Web services spaces. I believe this may be Sun’s entry to counter the IBM-Microsoft-Ariba backed Web Service Description Language (WSDL) specification under review with the W3C. According to Rael Dornfest, “…This opens up doors for rather powerful application building and cross-over between peer-to-peer and the Web Services space with which they are usually associated.” This is something the current WSDL may be lacking.

Second, I’ve heard from many sources that the JXTA programming platform is fully expected to be implemented in other languages besides Java: C, Perl, Python, perhaps even Microsoft’s Java-like C#.

Need I say more. JXTA should be jXTA. It certainly shouldn’t be Jxta, as pointed out in this CNET News.com article, Jxta, usable, but for what?.

Related link: http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-5712920.html?tag=tp_pr

Will Microsoft ever learn its lesson? They got into trouble with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) before because they bundled IE with Windows.

Now, they are bundling Media Player 8.0 with upcoming release of Windows XP. What’s worst is that this may be the only way of getting Media Player.

Microsoft is feeling very confident, now that Justice Pentfield Jackson is, apparently, no longer in their way. By this, I mean that they should be watching out for the knock on their door. Can you smell a DOJ injuction here? I can.

In this announcement, you’ll find the latest Web layer and XML release news on Tomcat, JAX-RPC, Jakarta-Taglibs, JSPTL, and JAXP 1.1 from Sun’s Java Platform Group.

Source: Sun Microsystems, Inc. This news was re-printed with permission of Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Related link: http://www.sdtimes.com/news/028/special2.htm

Related link: http://www.sdtimes.com/news/028/special2.htm

This is an interesting editorial feature on C# and Java from the SD Times.

Related link: http://www.sdgnews.com/sd2001ws007/sd2001ws007.htm

Related link: http://www.sdgnews.com/sd2001ws007/sd2001ws007.htm

Apparently, passions still run high, run deep when you put C# (C-Sharp) (.NET) and Java developers in a room together, as evidenced in the Stanley Lippman-led discussion at the SD2001 West Conference, San Jose, CA last week.

Related link: http://technetcast.ddj.com/tnc_catalog.html?item_id=94

Related link: http://technetcast.ddj.com/tnc_catalog.html?item_id=94

C++ is not dead, just forgotten until now. At SD2001 West Conference in San Jose, CA this week, C++ designer and implementor Bjarne Stroustrup as well as other members of the C++ Standards Committee met publicly, for the first time, to discuss the future direction of the C++ standardization effort along with its new features. For more, TechNetCast will provide an audio version of this meeting as well as more interviews with participants in the coming weeks.

Related link: http://www.zdnet.com/intweek/stories/news/0,4164,2706280,00.html

Related link: http://www.zdnet.com/intweek/stories/news/0,4164,2706280,00.html

Oracle offers free developer education online, attempting to apply lessons taught by the open source code movement. This effort should at least educate the 1.5 million developers that it says are registered to participate in the Oracle Technology Network; that is, develop Java and XML applications with Oracle tools and technologies.

But will Oracle take the next step by offering an online education for those who may not use Oracle? Probably not. However, this would be a good way to rebuild their Oracle University program.

But, it is an interesting point that Oracle may be modeling the open source movement.

Related link: http://www.javacoffeebreak.com/articles/jini/jinideath.html

Related link: http://www.javacoffeebreak.com/articles/jini/jinideath.html

Is Jini Dead? I really don’t think so. I’ve seen how it’s been implemented, in a network of devices. I’ve also seen how it can be used as an enterprise development solution in the ONJava.com P2P Java feature articles by Dave Sag and Robert Flenner.

Also, check out the Discovery ‘01 Jiniathon event at Princeton University (Registration required). I’m sure there will be many applications developed there that can be used.

But with Sun’s announcement of JXTA and the availability UDDI, USB and more, it will be interesting to see how this will all affect Jini and its evolution. Jini does have issues though, especially security or lack thereof. One thing for sure — P2P Java is alive and well.

Related link: http://www.iplanet.com/smartservices/SunONEbrief.pdf

Related link: http://www.iplanet.com/smartservices/SunONEbrief.pdf

Are Research Analysts objective? I’m not sure. But there does appear to be more questions than answers, especially when you consider the Forrester Report Brief on SunONE.

SunONE seems to be a viable Web Services platform strategy. I’m sure the others in this report are as well. My problem, though, is not SunONE. It’s this report brief from Forrester.

When you read the brief in the link provided, you’ll see that most of its language is marketing. Perhaps, they are just doing this in the brief to sell the report. But perhaps, they’re not. Therefore, I challenge Forrester to make the full report on SunONE or other Web Services platform available to me for review.

My readers would certainly like to know how objective or subjective you are. I know that the same questions appear to be persistent regarding Equity Analysts with investment banks. Are Equity Analysts objective when they rate a company’s stock, especially if that company/stock was underwritten or supported in any way by the Analysts’ investment bank.

There are many questions, few answers. The one answer I can think of is in Forbes Magazine. Prudential Securities is splitting its brokerage/investment banking operations from its analyst offerings. I’m sure we haven’t heard the last of this.