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

To: ToySoldier who wrote (12257)	11/17/1998 9:01:00 PM
From: up3up4	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 74651

I think we might have a negative impact from this uesday November 17 7:54 PM ET Judge Rules Against Microsoft In Sun Java Lawsuit By Martin Wolk SEATTLE (Reuters) - In a stinging defeat for Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT - news), a federal judge Tuesday backed technology claims by Sun Microsystems Inc. (Nasdaq:SUNW - news) and gave the software company 90 days to modify its Windows 98 operating system or pull it from the market. U.S. District Judge Ronald Whyte said Sun was ''likely to prevail on the merits'' of its lawsuit over the Java programming language and issued a preliminary injunction that would bar Microsoft from selling products that use the technology. Whyte's order bars the sale of any Microsoft products that use Java -- including Windows 98 and the Internet Explorer 4.0 browser -- beginning in 90 days unless Microsoft modifies the software to comply with Sun compatibility tests. The order does not affect software that already has been shipped. For Sun, one of Microsoft's fiercest rivals, the ruling was a sweet victory in the battle over control of Java, an increasingly popular platform for software developers that once was seen as a threat to the hegemony of Windows on the computer desktop. While the highly technical lawsuit has taken a backseat to the landmark antitrust case against Microsoft unfolding in Washington, D.C., the ruling could reinvigorate Sun's efforts to promote Java for developers to write software that runs on a variety of systems and not just Windows. And government lawyers, who have called a Sun vice president to testify in the antitrust case, contend Microsoft's efforts to undermine Java are part of a pattern of anti-competitive behavior. Alan Baratz, president of Sun's Java Software unit, said the company would continue to deliver products ''that give developers and users the choice to replace Microsoft's polluted technology with Sun's compatible Java technology.'' Sun sued Microsoft in 1997 charging that the Redmond, Wash.-based software company violated its 1996 agreement to license Java by introducing variants in its own software and developer tools that failed to meet Sun's compatibility tests. Sun contended Microsoft was intentionally trying to undermine Java's vaunted ''write once, run anywhere'' promise by establishing conflicting versions of the language and forcing developers to make a choice. In a cry that echoed its defense against antitrust charges, Microsoft contended Sun was trying to prevent ''innovation'' and said even Sun's own implementation of the technology failed to meet compatibility requirements. Microsoft spokesman Jim Cullinan said the company was disappointed by the ruling but would ''take the necessary steps to comply.'' ''We believe Sun's legal strategy is shortsighted and is trying to deny customers and developers the choice of the best Java implementation in the marketplace,'' Cullinan said.

To: ToySoldier who wrote (12257)	11/18/1998 12:10:00 PM
From: rudedog	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 74651

Toy - That is why every other major OEM and vendor is putting MILLIONS of dollars into its development and success (except MSFT who is creating a mutation of Java). You mean like HP? Another happy JAVA Camper.....

To: ToySoldier who wrote (12257)	11/18/1998 12:15:00 PM
From: rudedog	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 74651

Toy - This may delay NT5 well into 2000 in order to conform NT5 into court ordered compliancy. As far as I know, NT is not included in any of the DOJ or state complaints. Why would it be affected by the outcome?

To: ToySoldier who wrote (12257)	11/18/1998 5:43:00 PM
From: HG	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 74651

I did some thinking after I posted that question. Whereas I was very positive about MSFT last year, a bit of thinking through was enough. You know how it is...you buy a large cap stock of a near monolpoly and you track all others but this one.....and then this one comes back to haunt you. MSFT returned only 17% to my portfolio since early this year and was THE least performing stock aside from PSFT and well yes TGLO which cost me a bit. SO I decided to do some cleaning up. Short of it is I sold off my holdings in MSFT @111 this morning - and am thankful I did. Just heard the news about SUN. Thanx for the insight though.