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Technology Stocks : How high will Microsoft fly? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: rudedog who wrote (46013)	6/5/2000 7:26:00 PM
From: Charles Tutt	Respond to of 74651

My understanding is that you can write, test, and sell code written in Java without Sun's permission if you're willing to do without the logo. That's not a legal opinion, though. At least Sun has made an effort to "open" Java; not everybody is satisfied with the extent to which they've done so, but it's still well beyond anything Microsoft has done with Windows. JMHO.

To: rudedog who wrote (46013)	6/6/2000 12:55:00 PM
From: Thomas C. Kimmel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 74651

rudedog, This message is not up to your standard. Since Charles didn't jump on it, I have to point out a couple of things: I can write an application for the PC, using publicly available APIs, I have done this. The API that I used was WIN32. It was difficult to use, but I got everything working. There are (at least) two problems. One, the API keeps changing at MSFTs whim, without community input. Two, I don't believe that the MSFT applications group restricts themselves to WIN32. So, how can you say that the platform is "open"? The best that can be said is that some of it is "published". Now, Win2000 ships with software that performs some of the functionality of "my" software. It (IMHO) is inferior to "my" software, due to the lack of functionality. But it comes "free". Where does that leave me, competitively? Also, the WIN2000 software uses new APIs. Don't I wish that I could define a new API whenever I had a problem with the old one? I don't understand why developers support the Windows platform, anymore. It is not a level playing field. I am a MSFT shareholder and I look forward to the possibility of a separate OS company. I feel it would improve the platform. -tck