A couple more pieces of the Sun/Java/Msft puzzle that
y'all should be aware of: There is technology and companies
that allow a Windows application to get I/O and do display
remotely analgous to what X-windows provides for Unix platforms.
This would allow a company to have a network that consists of
a few SUN file servers, a few SUN boxes to use for Unix/compute
oriented tasks, an NC on every desktop, and One or more WINTEL
box that runs an 'appplication server' that can run MS-word,
project, excel, power point on each NC. If you need more CPU
you buy more sparcs, need more disc, buy more Sun File serveers,
hire new people, buy another NC. Gives a company a finer grain
and more incremental approach to doing those large capital outlays.
The companys that are dong this are Insignia (NSGY) and Intrigue(I
could have these names wrong, I'll double check)
Also, Regards JAVA- For building applications the java windowing stuff
(called AWT) is not a widget rich as the MSFT stuff, or isnt right now
however, Im sure LOTS of tool development is taking place to make
3'rd party libraries that do this, and I just read the other day
that MICROSOFT is developing an AFC toolkit, where they will port
all their rich widgets, and then build 100% java versions of some
of their office products. This signals to me an interesting change
of strategy towards a platform/OS independent direction, and away
from the proprietary approach of ActiveX. I invite everyone to
check this out, and tell me what you think.
-randy |
