Microsoft Corp is rumored to be eyeing alternatives to Sun Microsystems Inc’s Java programming language, with an eye to ditching its Java license altogether. Microsoft has appealed a November 17, 1998 ruling by US District Court Judge Ronald Whyte, which required the company to stop shipping its own version of Java. That version depended on the Windows operating system, whereas Sun intended Java to work across many operating systems. On Monday February 15 1999, PC Week magazine reported that Microsoft was investigating a programming language, code-named Cool, as a potential rival to Java. Meanwhile Lisa Poulsen, a spokesperson for Sun, revived old speculation that Microsoft is at work on a universal virtual machine, which would run Java applications without actually using any Java. Microsoft denied both rumors. á
Content from our partners
