Analysis:
THE BOARD:
1) York - IBM turnaround, Chief FINANCIAL Officer
2) Ellison - Database King
Solid.
THE MICROSOFT DEAL:
1) Cross Licensee - Apple gets OpenGL? Microsoft gets Quick Time and what else? Access to more RISC systems? The big question is how much of Rhapsody do they get, and what use is it to them? NT is a hack job, Rhapsody is a new system. NT servers will probably support Macs and Rhapsody servers may support WinTel machines? Novell looses.
2) Java - ActiveX, the real looser here is Sun, a company which should have allied itself with Apple long aqo, now they will loose big. Java is no longer Sun's trump card. Sun's Java is now Microsoft's Java. Microsoft wins BIG. A loss for Netscape which will have to support and licensee ActiveX. Apple's Servers will look more attractive.
3) Navigator - Explorer, a small loss for Netscape.
4) The money, Apple gains in that people will no longer perceive it as the latest Amiga. The crap about Microsoft gaining because of perceived threats from antitrust is crap. The Justice Department would have acted long ago if they were going to act. I'm sure Bill and his friends are BIG political contributors.
THE PRODUCTS
1) Rhapsody
2) 350 MGZ boxes, Sun looses again, these two products will combined look like a very attractive server. SGI might face more pressure due to OpenGL. SGI should have allied itself with Apple long ago. Softimage and 3D Studio Max on Apple boxes with OpenGL cards will futhur threaten SGI's former hedgemony in high end 3D. Many in the film effects business have resentments towards SGI. SoftImage costs 1/3 what Alias/Wavefront costs. Sun and SGI both use proprietary UNIX. Oracle has expanded access to two server systems and an OS base for network computers, a plus both for the database and the opportunity to develop network computers.
CONCLUSION
Oracle/Ellison win big. Bill saw the writing on the wall with SAP and CA supporting Rhapsody, if you can't beat `em join `em. Jobs, tired of waiting for support from Sun or SGI developes a new alliance. Oracle/Ellison win big. Sun, SGI, Netscape and Novell loose big. Motorola and IBM will be under more pressure to support Apple or loose the largest customer for their RISC processors.
Again the big news was SAP and CA support, this lent credence to Apple as an alternative business computer system on client/server networks. |
