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To: Craig K who wrote (3306)	8/31/1999 9:56:00 AM
From: John Solder	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 5102

NEW YORK (AP) -- Sun Microsystems Inc. launched a fresh assault today on rival Microsoft Corp.'s dominance of everyday desktop computer software. The maker of big business computers disclosed that it bought Star Division Corp., a small maker of office productivity software. The move is an attempt to shift how most people use popular software such as spreadsheets and word processing, onto the Internet and away from the personal computer desktop. Star Division's package of office software has attracted a small but devoted following of users, but pales against the popularity of Microsoft's Office product line. But Sun Microsystems hopes to vault Star's products into the mainstream by encouraging people to download it off the Internet for free. Moreover, Sun aims to change Star's product line from software that mainly resides on people's computers to Web-based applications that users of hand-held devices, such as cellular phones with screens, can easily gain access to. Sun's chief executive, Scott McNealy, said his company's goal was to sell more heavy-duty computers that run Internet software that can be downloaded onto personal computers. He insisted that the company was not targeting Microsoft. ``Sun has never won any business for beating up Microsoft,' McNealy told the CNBC financial cable television channel this morning. ``This is all about consumer choice.' Still, today's announcement is the latest in series of Sun moves that -- with limited success -- have tried to encroach on Microsoft's main businesses. A few years ago, Sun touted a new type of ``network computer' that lacked a harddrive and didn't run on Microsoft's Windows operating system. The move failed. Sun also makes Java, a programming language for writing Web software. Big hurdles remain in the way of the latest initiative. Users of Microsoft's Office software, which includes the hugely popular Word processing and Excel spreadsheet programs, may be unlikely to switch to an untried product. And Microsoft is certain to strike back with aggressive moves of its own. Palo Alto, Calif.-based Sun did not disclose the terms of its purchase of Star Division, a privately held company in Fremont, Calif.