[SOCS] Microsoft Concludes Agreement To License Technology For Smalltalk

[Liz Grigg]

sorry this mail doesn't belong to me.........

Microsoft And Disney Conclude Agreement To License Technology For Smalltalk
Microsoft Demonstrates Smalltalk-80-Compatible Browser and Tools
REDMOND, WA - April 1, 1998 - At a press conference today Microsoft Corp.
(Nasdaq: MSFT) announced it has concluded an agreement to license the
Squeak Smalltalk-80 programming language and related technology for
inclusion in Microsoft products. As part of this agreement Microsoft
will develop and maintain the reference implementation of Smalltalk-80
for Windows(R) platforms, such as the Windows(R)98 and Windows NT(R)
operating system.
Also, Microsoft demonstrated a number of Smalltalk-80-compatible
technologies collectively code-named "Orlando." The technologies
demonstrated included Smalltalk-80 support in the Microsoft Internet
Explorer 5.0 Web browser using a built-in, high performance
just-in-time (JIT) compiler; an integrated development tool; and
integration of the Smalltalk-80 language with industry-standard
component object model (COM) objects through Microsoft ActiveX(TM)
Technologies for the Internet and PC. Microsoft further outlined its
plans for Smalltalk-80 support, indicating that future versions of
Microsoft Internet Explorer for Windows and Apple(R) Macintosh(R) will
include the ability to run Smalltalk-80 applets distributed through
the World Wide Web. The company also outlined plans to create a
high-productivity development tool for Smalltalk-80, based on its
award-winning Developer Studio technology.
Microsoft is currently being sued by Sun over trademark infringement
issues relating to its licensing of Java technology from Sun. A
U.S. District Court judge granted Sun Microsystems Inc.'s request for
a preliminary injunction that prevents Microsoft from using Sun's
Java Compatible(TM) logo to promote and distribute its Internet
Explorer 4.0 and related products. In response, Microsoft has taken
the unprecedented step of completely abandoning Java in favor of what
they consider to be "a vastly superior programming language
technology" in the words of Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
In a project that has been kept under wraps ever since the initial
adoption of Java, a team of Microsoft researchers has prepared an
alternative programming language for use in case of a serious dispute
with Sun over the future of the Java language. After evaluating many
programming languages, the team settled on Smalltalk-80 as being the best
alternative to Java. According to Chris Fraser, a Microsoft research
scientist, "Smalltalk-80's dynamic type system is far superior to
the one developed for Java." Also, he asserts that "pure object-oriented
programs are the wave of the future: hybrid C-based programming has
reached a dead end." As other developers integrated Java into
Microsoft products such as the Internet Explorer, this "shadow team"
created secret versions of these same products using Smalltalk-80 instead
of Java. The team leader, Conal Elliott, asserts that due to the
elegance and expressiveness of Smalltalk-80, his team was able to
completely duplicate the work being done with Java using only a tenth
of the manpower. As all tools needed to switch from Java to Smalltalk-80
are already in place, Microsoft expects to completely purge its
products of Java within a period of less than two months.
"The Squeak technology will provide a great way for our developer
customers to create innovative applications for the Web," said Dave
Hanson, vice president of development tools at Microsoft. "We intend
to be the premier supplier of Smalltalk-80-compatible tools to Internet
developers."
"Microsoft's commitment to Smalltalk-80 is both impressive and
comprehensive, and this agreement makes them one of the leading
Smalltalk-80 supporters," said Alan C. Kay, the head of the Squeak
project at Disney. "Microsoft's licensing of Squeak broadens support
of the technology significantly."
"Integrating the Smalltalk-80 language with COM is something our
customers and ISV partners think is extremely important," said Erik
Meijer, the new senior vice president of Internet platforms and tools,
at Microsoft. "It brings a whole new dimension to Smalltalk: a clear
path for integration with existing applications, systems and
technologies. It means that you don't have to start over to take
advantage of Smalltalk-80."
Current Smalltalk developers reacted with both joy and concern at this
announcement. Allen Wirfs-Brock, a prominent Smalltalk-80
implementor, said "I guess this means the end of our research efforts
here. There is no way a small research group such as ours can compete
with Microsoft." At UIUC, Ralph Johnson was more optimistic: "Now I
can get out of this hellhole in Urbana-Champaign and get a real job at
Microsoft." In fact, many Smalltalk-80 developers are expected to
join a new Microsoft research group in Portland, Oregon which will be
headed by Ward Cunningham, a prominent Smalltalk researcher.
Mr. Cunningham explained that "they wanted me to come to Redmond but I
decided to remain here in Portland. When they decided to build a
research center here for me I was thrilled!"
Additional information on Microsoft Corporation is available on the
Internet at http://www.microsoft.com. Additional information on
Smalltalk-80 and Squeak is available on the Internet at
http://www.stic.org.
Microsoft Windows, Windows NT and ActiveX are either
registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in
the United States and/or other countries.

[Patrick Logan]

Microsoft And Disney Conclude Agreement To License Technology For
Smalltalk

So why we don't see real press releases like this?

As has been pointed out, when I am not writing stupid time-wasting
press releases, I am busy working for Gemstone. However, maybe someone
has time to figure out how to hook up Squeak with Netscape in some
useful fashion, now that the source has been made free.

And now if you don't mind, back to Doom... er, work.

[Bob Walker]

I guess we'll just have to make sure Patrick has a little bit more work to do around the shop! ;-)

Dust those bits! Hoist them bytecodes!


Bob W.

To all...

Microsoft And Disney Conclude Agreement To License Technology For Smalltalk

If you want to see more jokes like this...
You can read all the manuals of Gemstone. :-)
Ale.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Part 1.2 Type: application/ms-tnef
Encoding: base64

[Maurice Rabb]

C--

This is the most exciting thing that I have _ever_ heard from Microsoft! I
have always loved Smalltalk, and as I have been cursing my decision to move
to Java, almost from the moment after I decided to use switch to it. There
has alway been a derth of good tools (that aren't 10K of $) for Smalltalk.
Just as we have suffered for so long in the minority knowing that Apple is
a nice platform to use than PCs. I have suffered over Smalltalk. Now this
may all change in the very near future.

--M

----------

Microsoft And Disney Conclude Agreement To License Technology For Smalltalk

Microsoft Demonstrates Smalltalk-80-Compatible Browser and Tools

REDMOND, WA - April 1, 1998 - At a press conference today Microsoft Corp.
(Nasdaq: MSFT) announced it has concluded an agreement to license the
Squeak Smalltalk-80 programming language and related technology for
inclusion in Microsoft products. As part of this agreement Microsoft
will develop and maintain the reference implementation of Smalltalk-80
for Windows(R) platforms, such as the Windows(R)98 and Windows NT(R)
operating system.

Also, Microsoft demonstrated a number of Smalltalk-80-compatible
technologies collectively code-named "Orlando." The technologies
demonstrated included Smalltalk-80 support in the Microsoft Internet
Explorer 5.0 Web browser using a built-in, high performance
just-in-time (JIT) compiler; an integrated development tool; and
integration of the Smalltalk-80 language with industry-standard
component object model (COM) objects through Microsoft ActiveX(TM)
Technologies for the Internet and PC. Microsoft further outlined its
plans for Smalltalk-80 support, indicating that future versions of
Microsoft Internet Explorer for Windows and Apple(R) Macintosh(R) will
include the ability to run Smalltalk-80 applets distributed through
the World Wide Web. The company also outlined plans to create a
high-productivity development tool for Smalltalk-80, based on its
award-winning Developer Studio technology.

Microsoft is currently being sued by Sun over trademark infringement
issues relating to its licensing of Java technology from Sun. A
U.S. District Court judge granted Sun Microsystems Inc.'s request for
a preliminary injunction that prevents Microsoft from using Sun's
Java Compatible(TM) logo to promote and distribute its Internet
Explorer 4.0 and related products. In response, Microsoft has taken
the unprecedented step of completely abandoning Java in favor of what
they consider to be "a vastly superior programming language
technology" in the words of Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

In a project that has been kept under wraps ever since the initial
adoption of Java, a team of Microsoft researchers has prepared an
alternative programming language for use in case of a serious dispute
with Sun over the future of the Java language. After evaluating many
programming languages, the team settled on Smalltalk-80 as being the best
alternative to Java. According to Chris Fraser, a Microsoft research
scientist, "Smalltalk-80's dynamic type system is far superior to
the one developed for Java." Also, he asserts that "pure object-oriented
programs are the wave of the future: hybrid C-based programming has
reached a dead end." As other developers integrated Java into
Microsoft products such as the Internet Explorer, this "shadow team"
created secret versions of these same products using Smalltalk-80 instead
of Java. The team leader, Conal Elliott, asserts that due to the
elegance and expressiveness of Smalltalk-80, his team was able to
completely duplicate the work being done with Java using only a tenth
of the manpower. As all tools needed to switch from Java to Smalltalk-80
are already in place, Microsoft expects to completely purge its
products of Java within a period of less than two months.

"The Squeak technology will provide a great way for our developer
customers to create innovative applications for the Web," said Dave
Hanson, vice president of development tools at Microsoft. "We intend
to be the premier supplier of Smalltalk-80-compatible tools to Internet
developers."

"Microsoft's commitment to Smalltalk-80 is both impressive and
comprehensive, and this agreement makes them one of the leading
Smalltalk-80 supporters," said Alan C. Kay, the head of the Squeak
project at Disney. "Microsoft's licensing of Squeak broadens support
of the technology significantly."

"Integrating the Smalltalk-80 language with COM is something our
customers and ISV partners think is extremely important," said Erik
Meijer, the new senior vice president of Internet platforms and tools,
at Microsoft. "It brings a whole new dimension to Smalltalk: a clear
path for integration with existing applications, systems and
technologies. It means that you don't have to start over to take
advantage of Smalltalk-80."

Current Smalltalk developers reacted with both joy and concern at this
announcement. Allen Wirfs-Brock, a prominent Smalltalk-80
implementor, said "I guess this means the end of our research efforts
here. There is no way a small research group such as ours can compete
with Microsoft." At UIUC, Ralph Johnson was more optimistic: "Now I
can get out of this hellhole in Urbana-Champaign and get a real job at
Microsoft." In fact, many Smalltalk-80 developers are expected to
join a new Microsoft research group in Portland, Oregon which will be
headed by Ward Cunningham, a prominent Smalltalk researcher.
Mr. Cunningham explained that "they wanted me to come to Redmond but I
decided to remain here in Portland. When they decided to build a
research center here for me I was thrilled!"

Additional information on Microsoft Corporation is available on the
Internet at http://www.microsoft.com. Additional information on
Smalltalk-80 and Squeak is available on the Internet at
http://www.stic.org.

Microsoft Windows, Windows NT and ActiveX are either
registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in
the United States and/or other countries.

--------------------------------
Maurice Rabb, CTO
Stono Technologies, LLC
Chicago, Illinois, USA

tel [phone]
***@stono.com

[Steve Dekorte]

Microsoft And Disney Conclude Agreement To License Technology For Smalltalk

So why we don't see real press releases like this?

Steve

[Nick Vargish]

tickets available for Bill's Vatican ceremony, but only if you can
prove your deep faith in Microsoft by flying to Rome on an airplane
controlled by Windows.

Windows has detected an unrecoverable application
error in device RADAR. Please wait while Windows
restarts your aircraft.

[ OK ]

Similarly for BRAKES, when Bill's vision of Windows everywhere is reached,
and your vehicle runs on Windows NT 8.0 SP4. Kind of the obvious joke, but
it's been buggin me ever since that "vision" went public.

Nick

--
Nick Vargish patriot.net/~nav ***@patriot.net
Unix Systems Engineer; C, C++, Java, Perl, Tcl, Lisp, Shell; Internet Security
I believe in private and trustable communication; PGP key available on request
Louis Freeh, decrypt this: SHPX LBH!

[Maurice Rabb]

Kind of a lot to type for an april fool, huh?
I cannot take full credit. I just modified the skeleton of it to be a
Squeak/Smalltalk press release. So I typed less than half, if you
think *that* much was worth the effort.

Double Arrrggghh! Does anyone have a bridge they would like to sell me?

I got so excited I even forgot to change the To: field.

I guess that's why they call them dreams.

--Maurice

[JBoehnker]

Kind of a lot to type for an april fool, huh?

Jon


In a message dated 98-04-01 15:30:37 EST, you write:

<<
Microsoft And Disney Conclude Agreement To License Technology For Smalltalk

Microsoft Demonstrates Smalltalk-80-Compatible Browser and Tools

REDMOND, WA - April 1, 1998 - At a press conference today Microsoft Corp.
(Nasdaq: MSFT) announced it has concluded an agreement to license the
Squeak Smalltalk-80 programming language and related technology for
inclusion in Microsoft products. As part of this agreement Microsoft
will develop and maintain the reference implementation of Smalltalk-80
for Windows(R) platforms, such as the Windows(R)98 and Windows NT(R)
operating system.

Also, Microsoft demonstrated a number of Smalltalk-80-compatible
technologies collectively code-named "Orlando." The technologies
demonstrated included Smalltalk-80 support in the Microsoft Internet
Explorer 5.0 Web browser using a built-in, high performance
just-in-time (JIT) compiler; an integrated development tool; and
integration of the Smalltalk-80 language with industry-standard
component object model (COM) objects through Microsoft ActiveX(TM)
Technologies for the Internet and PC. Microsoft further outlined its
plans for Smalltalk-80 support, indicating that future versions of
Microsoft Internet Explorer for Windows and Apple(R) Macintosh(R) will
include the ability to run Smalltalk-80 applets distributed through
the World Wide Web. The company also outlined plans to create a
high-productivity development tool for Smalltalk-80, based on its
award-winning Developer Studio technology.

Microsoft is currently being sued by Sun over trademark infringement
issues relating to its licensing of Java technology from Sun. A
U.S. District Court judge granted Sun Microsystems Inc.'s request for
a preliminary injunction that prevents Microsoft from using Sun's
Java Compatible(TM) logo to promote and distribute its Internet
Explorer 4.0 and related products. In response, Microsoft has taken
the unprecedented step of completely abandoning Java in favor of what
they consider to be "a vastly superior programming language
technology" in the words of Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

In a project that has been kept under wraps ever since the initial
adoption of Java, a team of Microsoft researchers has prepared an
alternative programming language for use in case of a serious dispute
with Sun over the future of the Java language. After evaluating many
programming languages, the team settled on Smalltalk-80 as being the best
alternative to Java. According to Chris Fraser, a Microsoft research
scientist, "Smalltalk-80's dynamic type system is far superior to
the one developed for Java." Also, he asserts that "pure object-oriented
programs are the wave of the future: hybrid C-based programming has
reached a dead end." As other developers integrated Java into
Microsoft products such as the Internet Explorer, this "shadow team"
created secret versions of these same products using Smalltalk-80 instead
of Java. The team leader, Conal Elliott, asserts that due to the
elegance and expressiveness of Smalltalk-80, his team was able to
completely duplicate the work being done with Java using only a tenth
of the manpower. As all tools needed to switch from Java to Smalltalk-80
are already in place, Microsoft expects to completely purge its
products of Java within a period of less than two months.

"The Squeak technology will provide a great way for our developer
customers to create innovative applications for the Web," said Dave
Hanson, vice president of development tools at Microsoft. "We intend
to be the premier supplier of Smalltalk-80-compatible tools to Internet
developers."

"Microsoft's commitment to Smalltalk-80 is both impressive and
comprehensive, and this agreement makes them one of the leading
Smalltalk-80 supporters," said Alan C. Kay, the head of the Squeak
project at Disney. "Microsoft's licensing of Squeak broadens support
of the technology significantly."

"Integrating the Smalltalk-80 language with COM is something our
customers and ISV partners think is extremely important," said Erik
Meijer, the new senior vice president of Internet platforms and tools,
at Microsoft. "It brings a whole new dimension to Smalltalk: a clear
path for integration with existing applications, systems and
technologies. It means that you don't have to start over to take
advantage of Smalltalk-80."

Current Smalltalk developers reacted with both joy and concern at this
announcement. Allen Wirfs-Brock, a prominent Smalltalk-80
implementor, said "I guess this means the end of our research efforts
here. There is no way a small research group such as ours can compete
with Microsoft." At UIUC, Ralph Johnson was more optimistic: "Now I
can get out of this hellhole in Urbana-Champaign and get a real job at
Microsoft." In fact, many Smalltalk-80 developers are expected to
join a new Microsoft research group in Portland, Oregon which will be
headed by Ward Cunningham, a prominent Smalltalk researcher.
Mr. Cunningham explained that "they wanted me to come to Redmond but I
decided to remain here in Portland. When they decided to build a
research center here for me I was thrilled!"

Additional information on Microsoft Corporation is available on the
Internet at http://www.microsoft.com. Additional information on
Smalltalk-80 and Squeak is available on the Internet at
http://www.stic.org.

Microsoft Windows, Windows NT and ActiveX are either
registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in
the United States and/or other countries.

[Stephen Ma]

Microsoft And Disney Conclude Agreement To License Technology For Smalltalk
[etc]

Well, that's it. Disney is doomed. Everyone in the mouse kingdom
will wake up one morning as employees of Microsoft. Visitors to Epcot
and the other major sites will be dazzled by the slick marketing, and
will enjoy the truly thrilling carnival rides. Of course, since
Microsoft will be running things, there will be many fatal crashes --
but that's why the rides will be so thrilling.

After the takeover, Microsoft's slogan will be revised:

Q: Where do you want to go today?
A: To Disneyland, of course!


As someone else noted, Microsoft has already bought the Vatican, so
Bill Gates will have the right to wear not only papal vestments but
also mouse ears. I would buy tickets to watch Bill wear them at the
same time.


Stephen Ma <***@mindlink.net>

[Boris G. Chr. Shingarov]

Stephen,

Post by Stephen Ma
I would buy tickets to watch Bill wear them at the
same time.

Please reserve a ticket for me. When I visit North America
next time this will be the first attraction I would wish
to see.

Boris

[Stephen Ma]

Boris,

Post by Boris G. Chr. Shingarov

Post by Stephen Ma
I would buy tickets to watch Bill wear them at the
same time.

Please reserve a ticket for me. When I visit North America
next time this will be the first attraction I would wish
to see.

Sorry, North America is sold out. I understand there are still some
tickets available for Bill's Vatican ceremony, but only if you can
prove your deep faith in Microsoft by flying to Rome on an airplane
controlled by Windows.


Stephen Ma <***@mindlink.net>

[Alejandro F. Reimondo]

To all...

Microsoft And Disney Conclude Agreement To License Technology For Smalltalk

If you want to see more jokes like this...
You can read all the manuals of Gemstone. :-)

Thanks to Patric Logan ( ***@servio.gemstone.com ) for showing us, that he is joking while working.

Ale.

[Bob Walker]

Har Har HAr!!!

Microsoft And Disney Conclude Agreement To License Technology For Smalltalk
Microsoft Demonstrates Smalltalk-80-Compatible Browser and Tools
REDMOND, WA - April 1, 1998 - At a press conference today Microsoft Corp.
(Nasdaq: MSFT) announced it has concluded an agreement to license the
Squeak Smalltalk-80 programming language and related technology for
inclusion in Microsoft products. As part of this agreement Microsoft
will develop and maintain the reference implementation of Smalltalk-80
for Windows(R) platforms, such as the Windows(R)98 and Windows NT(R)
operating system.
Also, Microsoft demonstrated a number of Smalltalk-80-compatible
technologies collectively code-named "Orlando." The technologies
demonstrated included Smalltalk-80 support in the Microsoft Internet
Explorer 5.0 Web browser using a built-in, high performance
just-in-time (JIT) compiler; an integrated development tool; and
integration of the Smalltalk-80 language with industry-standard
component object model (COM) objects through Microsoft ActiveX(TM)
Technologies for the Internet and PC. Microsoft further outlined its
plans for Smalltalk-80 support, indicating that future versions of
Microsoft Internet Explorer for Windows and Apple(R) Macintosh(R) will
include the ability to run Smalltalk-80 applets distributed through
the World Wide Web. The company also outlined plans to create a
high-productivity development tool for Smalltalk-80, based on its
award-winning Developer Studio technology.
Microsoft is currently being sued by Sun over trademark infringement
issues relating to its licensing of Java technology from Sun. A
U.S. District Court judge granted Sun Microsystems Inc.'s request for
a preliminary injunction that prevents Microsoft from using Sun's
Java Compatible(TM) logo to promote and distribute its Internet
Explorer 4.0 and related products. In response, Microsoft has taken
the unprecedented step of completely abandoning Java in favor of what
they consider to be "a vastly superior programming language
technology" in the words of Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
In a project that has been kept under wraps ever since the initial
adoption of Java, a team of Microsoft researchers has prepared an
alternative programming language for use in case of a serious dispute
with Sun over the future of the Java language. After evaluating many
programming languages, the team settled on Smalltalk-80 as being the best
alternative to Java. According to Chris Fraser, a Microsoft research
scientist, "Smalltalk-80's dynamic type system is far superior to
the one developed for Java." Also, he asserts that "pure object-oriented
programs are the wave of the future: hybrid C-based programming has
reached a dead end." As other developers integrated Java into
Microsoft products such as the Internet Explorer, this "shadow team"
created secret versions of these same products using Smalltalk-80 instead
of Java. The team leader, Conal Elliott, asserts that due to the
elegance and expressiveness of Smalltalk-80, his team was able to
completely duplicate the work being done with Java using only a tenth
of the manpower. As all tools needed to switch from Java to Smalltalk-80
are already in place, Microsoft expects to completely purge its
products of Java within a period of less than two months.
"The Squeak technology will provide a great way for our developer
customers to create innovative applications for the Web," said Dave
Hanson, vice president of development tools at Microsoft. "We intend
to be the premier supplier of Smalltalk-80-compatible tools to Internet
developers."
"Microsoft's commitment to Smalltalk-80 is both impressive and
comprehensive, and this agreement makes them one of the leading
Smalltalk-80 supporters," said Alan C. Kay, the head of the Squeak
project at Disney. "Microsoft's licensing of Squeak broadens support
of the technology significantly."
"Integrating the Smalltalk-80 language with COM is something our
customers and ISV partners think is extremely important," said Erik
Meijer, the new senior vice president of Internet platforms and tools,
at Microsoft. "It brings a whole new dimension to Smalltalk: a clear
path for integration with existing applications, systems and
technologies. It means that you don't have to start over to take
advantage of Smalltalk-80."
Current Smalltalk developers reacted with both joy and concern at this
announcement. Allen Wirfs-Brock, a prominent Smalltalk-80
implementor, said "I guess this means the end of our research efforts
here. There is no way a small research group such as ours can compete
with Microsoft." At UIUC, Ralph Johnson was more optimistic: "Now I
can get out of this hellhole in Urbana-Champaign and get a real job at
Microsoft." In fact, many Smalltalk-80 developers are expected to
join a new Microsoft research group in Portland, Oregon which will be
headed by Ward Cunningham, a prominent Smalltalk researcher.
Mr. Cunningham explained that "they wanted me to come to Redmond but I
decided to remain here in Portland. When they decided to build a
research center here for me I was thrilled!"
Additional information on Microsoft Corporation is available on the
Internet at http://www.microsoft.com. Additional information on
Smalltalk-80 and Squeak is available on the Internet at
http://www.stic.org.
Microsoft Windows, Windows NT and ActiveX are either
registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in
the United States and/or other countries.

[Mike Klein]

Yeah, I made a fool of myself at my company too.
We just bailed on Smalltalk (for Java... ugh!)
so I can chalk it up to wishfull thinking.

Any paying Squeak jobs out there? (just trolling for more jokes).

-- Mike Klein

Post by Maurice Rabb

Kind of a lot to type for an april fool, huh?
I cannot take full credit. I just modified the skeleton of it to be a
Squeak/Smalltalk press release. So I typed less than half, if you
think *that* much was worth the effort.

Double Arrrggghh! Does anyone have a bridge they would like to sell me?
I got so excited I even forgot to change the To: field.
I guess that's why they call them dreams.
--Maurice

[Stephen Ma]

Nick,

[more Microsoft crash jokes]
Similarly for BRAKES, when Bill's vision of Windows everywhere is reached,
and your vehicle runs on Windows NT 8.0 SP4. Kind of the obvious joke, but
it's been buggin me ever since that "vision" went public.

It's depressing, but don't despair. The constant needling about the
unreliability of Windows is one of the few ways we have of holding
Microsoft accountable. If we keep it up, then perhaps one day even
non-technical folks will realize that daily crashes do not have to be
an inevitable part of computer life. We must all demand quality, even
in something so apparently minor as motorcyle repair.

Anyway, since this is the mailing list for Squeak, not Visual Basic, I
suspect I'm preaching to the choir. So I'll say no more here. I'd
better get back to work on the documentation browser.


Regards,
Stephen Ma <***@mindlink.net>

[Patrick Logan]

Microsoft And Disney Conclude Agreement To License Technology For Smalltalk

Microsoft Demonstrates Smalltalk-80-Compatible Browser and Tools

REDMOND, WA - April 1, 1998 - At a press conference today Microsoft Corp.
(Nasdaq: MSFT) announced it has concluded an agreement to license the
Squeak Smalltalk-80 programming language and related technology for
inclusion in Microsoft products. As part of this agreement Microsoft
will develop and maintain the reference implementation of Smalltalk-80
for Windows(R) platforms, such as the Windows(R)98 and Windows NT(R)
operating system.

Also, Microsoft demonstrated a number of Smalltalk-80-compatible
technologies collectively code-named "Orlando." The technologies
demonstrated included Smalltalk-80 support in the Microsoft Internet
Explorer 5.0 Web browser using a built-in, high performance
just-in-time (JIT) compiler; an integrated development tool; and
integration of the Smalltalk-80 language with industry-standard
component object model (COM) objects through Microsoft ActiveX(TM)
Technologies for the Internet and PC. Microsoft further outlined its
plans for Smalltalk-80 support, indicating that future versions of
Microsoft Internet Explorer for Windows and Apple(R) Macintosh(R) will
include the ability to run Smalltalk-80 applets distributed through
the World Wide Web. The company also outlined plans to create a
high-productivity development tool for Smalltalk-80, based on its
award-winning Developer Studio technology.

Microsoft is currently being sued by Sun over trademark infringement
issues relating to its licensing of Java technology from Sun. A
U.S. District Court judge granted Sun Microsystems Inc.'s request for
a preliminary injunction that prevents Microsoft from using Sun's
Java Compatible(TM) logo to promote and distribute its Internet
Explorer 4.0 and related products. In response, Microsoft has taken
the unprecedented step of completely abandoning Java in favor of what
they consider to be "a vastly superior programming language
technology" in the words of Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

In a project that has been kept under wraps ever since the initial
adoption of Java, a team of Microsoft researchers has prepared an
alternative programming language for use in case of a serious dispute
with Sun over the future of the Java language. After evaluating many
programming languages, the team settled on Smalltalk-80 as being the best
alternative to Java. According to Chris Fraser, a Microsoft research
scientist, "Smalltalk-80's dynamic type system is far superior to
the one developed for Java." Also, he asserts that "pure object-oriented
programs are the wave of the future: hybrid C-based programming has
reached a dead end." As other developers integrated Java into
Microsoft products such as the Internet Explorer, this "shadow team"
created secret versions of these same products using Smalltalk-80 instead
of Java. The team leader, Conal Elliott, asserts that due to the
elegance and expressiveness of Smalltalk-80, his team was able to
completely duplicate the work being done with Java using only a tenth
of the manpower. As all tools needed to switch from Java to Smalltalk-80
are already in place, Microsoft expects to completely purge its
products of Java within a period of less than two months.

"The Squeak technology will provide a great way for our developer
customers to create innovative applications for the Web," said Dave
Hanson, vice president of development tools at Microsoft. "We intend
to be the premier supplier of Smalltalk-80-compatible tools to Internet
developers."

"Microsoft's commitment to Smalltalk-80 is both impressive and
comprehensive, and this agreement makes them one of the leading
Smalltalk-80 supporters," said Alan C. Kay, the head of the Squeak
project at Disney. "Microsoft's licensing of Squeak broadens support
of the technology significantly."

"Integrating the Smalltalk-80 language with COM is something our
customers and ISV partners think is extremely important," said Erik
Meijer, the new senior vice president of Internet platforms and tools,
at Microsoft. "It brings a whole new dimension to Smalltalk: a clear
path for integration with existing applications, systems and
technologies. It means that you don't have to start over to take
advantage of Smalltalk-80."

Current Smalltalk developers reacted with both joy and concern at this
announcement. Allen Wirfs-Brock, a prominent Smalltalk-80
implementor, said "I guess this means the end of our research efforts
here. There is no way a small research group such as ours can compete
with Microsoft." At UIUC, Ralph Johnson was more optimistic: "Now I
can get out of this hellhole in Urbana-Champaign and get a real job at
Microsoft." In fact, many Smalltalk-80 developers are expected to
join a new Microsoft research group in Portland, Oregon which will be
headed by Ward Cunningham, a prominent Smalltalk researcher.
Mr. Cunningham explained that "they wanted me to come to Redmond but I
decided to remain here in Portland. When they decided to build a
research center here for me I was thrilled!"

Additional information on Microsoft Corporation is available on the
Internet at http://www.microsoft.com. Additional information on
Smalltalk-80 and Squeak is available on the Internet at
http://www.stic.org.

Microsoft Windows, Windows NT and ActiveX are either
registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in
the United States and/or other countries.

[jecel at lsi.usp.br ()]

Post by Patrick Logan

Microsoft And Disney Conclude Agreement To License Technology For Smalltalk

So why we don't see real press releases like this?

Perhaps one reason is that Squeak is free and Microsoft could use it
without licensing it if they wanted to? I am sure that a great
negotiator like Bill Gates would not fail to note this.

I liked the joke a lot, even though it didn't turn out very funny for
Andres. A few years ago, a major magazine in Brazil (called "Veja")
published an article about how scientists combined genes from a
tomato and a cow. The reporter had been looking through back issues
of "New Scientist" and got excited when he came across this news.
He failed to note that it was the April issue and that the scientists
who were to cause a fast food revolution were doctors McDonald and
Wendy. So Veja spent the time and money to publish this, only to be
embarrassed when the letters from more attentive readers started
coming in. They are more careful now - live and learn...

About the people who are trading Smalltalk for Java - while I am
not one of them, I can't entirely avoid Java in my projects. The
DAVIC standard for settop boxes requires it, as does the upcoming
MPEG-4 standard and any practical used of VRML. Can't we do
anything about this? It will soon be too late.

-- Jecel