Microsoft's holy war on Java
news.com
Microsoft so feared that Java would undermine its
Windows franchise that its highest executives cemented
partnerships with influential companies to prevent Sun
Microsystems from getting them first, according to evidence
not yet public in the high-profile lawsuit between the two
companies.
After declaring the Java threat a "top priority," Microsoft
sought to acquire, invest in, or close deals with several
companies to "take mindshare away from Sun," according to
internal Microsoft documents.
In theory, Java could allow computer users to run
Web browsers, word processors, and numerous other
applications without the need of Windows, a scenario that
chairman and chief executive Bill Gates once said "scares the
hell out of me," according to email Sun subpoenaed from
Microsoft.
according to another Microsoft email message, the overall
strategy, which at times sparked internal division among
Microsoft executives, included letting the "Java [developer
tools] space fragment so that 'write once, run anywhere'
does not happen," |
