Hewlett-Packard Co says it is still trying to come to terms with Sun Microsystems Inc on its Windows-on-Unix WABI Windows Application Binary Interface contract. It’s Sun paper, it says; if we started with Hewlett-Packard paper we’d be finished with this by now. Hewlett-Packard’s Advanced Systems Division personal computer emulator product marketing manager Don Chouinard said he’d predicted so many times when they’d come to terms that he’s reluctant to do it again. Chouinard says Hewlett-Packard wants to ensure WABI gets to its systems in a fair and equitable manner. He said Sun has also asked potential WABI licensees if they want to contribute technology. Once Hewlett-Packard signs the contract, it needs to get the code and have its research and development people verify that the stuff works to Hewlett-Packard standards. It’s only after that that Hewlett-Packard will announce it’ll have WABI on its machines. It claims however that Sun has WABI working on Hewlett-Packard kit in its labs and that it’s faster than any other system because of Hewlett-Packard’s X Window handling abilities. It makes [Sun chief executive] Scott McNealy’s eyes bug out, Chouinard claimed. Chouinard said that Hewlett-Packard is anxious to have all the different emulators on its systems. That would mean Insignia Solutions Ltd’s second-generation SoftWindows technology which is now under development and the native conversion libraries of Bristol Technology Inc and MainSoft Inc. Hewlett-Packard already offers Insignia’s first-generation SoftPC.
