I.B.M. Said to Be in Talks to Buy Sun for $7 Billion

[Computer Hope Admin]

I.B.M. is in talks to buy Sun Microsystems in a proposed deal valued at nearly $7 billion, a person with knowledge of the negotiations said on Wednesday.

Link

[kpac]

What would I do with $7 billion? ....

[macdad-]

Aw Crap...hopefully they don't alter Java 
nor JS

[BC_Programmer]

Aw Crap...hopefully they don't alter Java 
nor JS

for the KAZILLIONTH time Javascript has NOTHING to do with Sun or Java!

In fact, technically there is no longer a "official" javascript- it's really a mish-mash of all the different implementations in each browser. They just happen to coincide about 99% of the time.

[macdad-]

i'm just now learning this 

no one filled me in on this until know

[Computer Hope Admin]

That's what the forums are for, no one knows everything and always a good learning experience.

[macdad-]

Thanks for filling me in on this BC 

[evilfantasy]

Sun and Java are actually two different entities as well.

The original Java platform was developed by IBM I think. IBM 32-bit Runtime Environment for Java 2, v1.4.2 and there was the Microsoft Java.

I don't know the full history but it seems the technology was actually a gold mine that neither MS or IBM realized. Sun/Java took it and made it what it is today. A 7 Billion dollar giant!

[BC_Programmer]

Sun started Java as a simple programming language for appliances, like coffee makers- they called it "oak".

they licensed out the ability to write Virtual Machines, however, so as to allow for it to proliferate through different operating systems. IBM make a few crappy essentially useless versions of a JVM, but in their defense they have the- err- Most usable version for Windows 3.1, if that counts for anything.

Microsoft got a license to create the JVM and no sooner did they get it did they start bastardizing it, with J++. Warranted the changes were "good" for windows developers, they completely broke compatibility with other OS's. So Sun revoked their java license- and now Sun itself is the sole proprietor of the JDK and the runtimes.

The only neat feature that didn't break compatiblity was the ability for other applications to create java objects through COM. I thought it was neat that I could do a 'CreateObject("Java.Lang.String")' in VB and get a usable object.


http://java.sun.com/features/1998/05/birthday.html

[evilfantasy]

Good post BC. I knew that MS had pretty much screwed it up from their start with it and then abandoned it leaving it on machines which was then exploited by malware. Typical...

[macdad-]

Sun started Java as a simple programming language for appliances, like coffee makers- they called it "oak".

they licensed out the ability to write Virtual Machines, however, so as to allow for it to proliferate through different operating systems. IBM make a few crappy essentially useless versions of a JVM, but in their defense they have the- err- Most usable version for Windows 3.1, if that counts for anything.

Microsoft got a license to create the JVM and no sooner did they get it did they start bastardizing it, with J++. Warranted the changes were "good" for windows developers, they completely broke compatibility with other OS's. So Sun revoked their java license- and now Sun itself is the sole proprietor of the JDK and the runtimes.

The only neat feature that didn't break compatiblity was the ability for other applications to create java objects through COM. I thought it was neat that I could do a 'CreateObject("Java.Lang.String")' in VB and get a usable object.


http://java.sun.com/features/1998/05/birthday.html

Really? Well atleast i know where the logo came from. 

So it was originally a language for the microchips that control said appliances, huh?

[kpac]

Netscape create JS.

[BC_Programmer]

that was the original plan. but "the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry". Also, I can see the code...

Code: [Select]

public class Blender extends BasicAppliance
{
public enum Blender_Runstate
{

  off=0;
  chop=1;
  blend=2;

//extraoomph=3; 
//removed above line after Paul's hospital visit. Guess I'll have to finish his coffee-maker implementation...
}
private boolean mvarPulse;
Private Blender_Runstate mvarRunstate;

public java.appliance.controlpanereturnmodeconstants ControlPanelEvent(

....




Netscape create JS.

yes- they did. totally different ball-game.

[evilfantasy]

IBM backed out (couldn't bid high enough) and it is now being sold to Oracle.

Oracle to buy Sun for $9.50 a share

The announcement comes after Sun reportedly rejected a $7 billion buyout offer from IBM (IBM, Fortune 500) earlier this month.

[DA8686]

I saw that evil.  It is pretty interesting how quickly oracle came on the scene.