To: rhet0ric who wrote (10624 ) 4/1/1998 8:53:00 PM From: Hugues Read Replies (2) | Respond to
Naive questions about Java and Rhapsody and Apple perspectives
Thank you rhetOric for your excellent posts on Java and Rhapsody.
Maybe you could give us more insights.
I understand Java is pretty attractive to a lot of people, working on it, or studying it.
I guess the two reasons are
- portability between platforms
- object-oriented
and maybe a third one:
- agreement on it by all as the next best language for developing programs
However, Java is not the only object-oriented language, and a lot of other languages are portable between platform: I suppose c++ is too.
For the time being, there seems to be few applications available in Java. The main reason always stated being performance.
As you know, Java needs to be compiled before execution, and this takes time. Even with the advent of the recent Just-in-time compilers, I wonder how Java could beat direct access to already compiled OS code. I guess there must be a way, but i am not qualified enough to understand which one. There are talks of special Java designed chips, but this is not what we are talking about, I suppose. This is more like small appliances (see Alcatel recent internet phone).
So everything seems to come down to the Java Virtual machine, which in a way will replace the OS for special services. And here seems to lie the real revolution, imhno (in my humble newbie opinion). They have to be designed for each OS (or even hardware ?), and be available to the user. And fast.
Assumed they can be fast, what will happen ?
Everybody will offer its own Java machine, which will make standardization difficult. See Microsoft strategy, and Unix development.
Apple is offering another one, inside the Yellow box. As you post smartly explains it, this is indeed brilliant, because with it you can run Java applications. However I did not understand if it will run all kind of Java applications or only Rhapsody applications written in Java. In other word, if every user will need another java virtual machine for his java applications which are not rhapsody-based.
Apple can distribute its yellow box on MacOs, Windows, NT and sun solaris, as it is rumored. But I don't see why it should be better or faster than these OSs' respective Java Machines.
And more annoying: Why would people need rhapsody or yellow box if they have java ? And why would developers choose to develop on rhapsody (with Java or open step, yet to be discovered) when they can develop for the java machines of the different OS. Does the yellow box provide more services than a classic virtual machine ? Are they really essential ?
So, from what I have so far understood, Java evolution could really impact Apple future:
- If it does come out, it will reduce Microsoft power and pave the way for a rhapsody alternative
- But it could also make it obsolete (or less needful) by providing the cross-platform development called for by the computer community
If Rhapsody is a hit, AND it is priced around 100-150 $, It could easily bring Apple hundreds of millions of net results a year. And this could be incorporated in the stock price by the end of the year, after a few positive reviews of major developers and education of investor.
If it is not, it can also be incorporated gradually (and seamlessly) into the macOs, and bring a powerful OS to mac Users. This would stop the erosion of market share and could slowly bring back growth. However, the stock would not go above 30$ before 2 years.
What's your opinion ?
