Microsoft: No more Java in Windows after 2004
Yahoo | at | by Mike
Just before closing arguments in its antitrust case, Microsoft Corp. delivered a broadside to one of its bitter software rivals, declaring Tuesday it will stop supporting Sun Microsystems' flagship product by 2004. Microsoft cited Sun's opposition in the case as the reason for the decision to remove support for Sun's Java programming language from future versions of Microsoft's Windows operating system. "The decision to remove Microsoft's Java implementation was made because of Sun's strategy of using the legal system to compete with Microsoft," Microsoft spokesman Jim Cullinan said in a statement.
Current versions of Windows XP do not include Java, though users can download it if they need to run programs written in the language. But Microsoft did say it would temporarily restore support for Java in the upcoming update to Windows XP, expected this fall. That decision may further anger Sun because Windows XP will include Microsoft's own version of Java rather than having users download the version made by Sun.