java

[AMD_Forever]

I was told that microsoft released IE to crush Netscape. When I asked why microsoft would do that, I was told it was because Netscape supported Java, and Microsoft didn't want java to succeed so they decided to make a free browser just to crush a programming language. Is that true?

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Instead of AMD_Forever, I really think it's more like "Competition_Forever"

[Pinky]

wow. Seems like Microsoft did that because Netscape had most of the browser market, but maybe that's true...I don't really know!

[homerj31]

No I do not think that is true. Microsoft has made there "OWN" java, which is different from the one that SUN MIRCOSYSTEM has developed. They use two different compilers. I think MS just made IE to bully netscape and corner the market and they realized how important a broswer was going to be.

from the brain of
homerj31

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PIII 700Mhz
Intel SE440BX-2V Mobo
192MB pc-100(128 of crucial, 64 of kingston)
HP CD-RW 4x4x28
IO-magic dvd 8x
20Gig maxtor HD
Ati all in one 16MB(the rage 128,AGP)

[AMD_Forever]

but a browser does nothing for microsoft. IE creates NO revenue for MSFT and only costs them money to develop.

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Instead of AMD_Forever, I really think it's more like "Competition_Forever"

[mikek147]

Netscape was once the default browser for the Internet. Microsoft, about 5 years ago, in their devine wisdom, was pushing their Lan Manager crap, and didn't think that the Internet was worthy of their consideration. When they finally woke up and got into the Internet business, several years late, to show their commitment, they offered IE free, and had to play catchup. This also had the effect of taking the wind out of Netscape's sails as IE matured, forcing Netscape to offer their browser free. If I'm not mistaken, at one time NS was about a $150 package.

As for java support, neither IE nor Netscape are 100% Sun Java complient, at least they weren't 2 years ago. There were promises that both would become 100% compliant, but I don't know if that ever occured. Maybe a Sun Java programmer can comment on that. -mk

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If it aint broke,
Fix it till it is.

[Moridin]

Originally posted by AMD_Forever:
I was told that microsoft released IE to crush Netscape. When I asked why microsoft would do that, I was told it was because Netscape supported Java, and Microsoft didn't want java to succeed so they decided to make a free browser just to crush a programming language. Is that true?

The combination of Java + Browser can used as an application environment that is independent of the operating system it is running on. Now when you develop an application you need to target it at an operating system. If you can construct applications that target a browser/Java combination you can run that application on any hardware/OS combination that the browser runs on.

A very big reason Microsoft is so successful is that they can use their control of the deployment platform (the OS) to gain an advantage over their competitors in other areas. A perfect example would be how they used Windows 95 to squeeze WordPerfect out of the word processor market.

I have no doubt that MS eliminated Netscape in order to keep its control over the application deployment environment. Just look at the history. In five years they have made three separate attempts to undermine Java. ActiveX, the MS virtual Java machine, and recently C#. Not surprisingly, each of these only works on MS products.




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