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Two Approaches to Software Dominance

There's been a lot of chatter on blogs recently about Microsoft's next OS, Longhorn. I'll spare you a list of pertinent links because that's not what I'm really here to talk about.

I'm here to talk about two approaches to software dominance. Specifically, MS and Longhorn vs. Sun and Java.

I didn't really make this connection - a tenuous one, at best - until last night, but it's there.

And this is not a conspiracy theory entry, it's just some ruminations.

Most readers should know enough about the Sun/Java saga to get the gist of what I say below, with Longhorn, this brief comment will suffice (and it's a vast under- and overstatement): With Longhorn, MS is going to offer a richer user experience, one that will extend to a richer Web experience. However, this richer Web experience will only be available to users running Longhorn.

So, bottom line:

• Sun tried to make something that would run anywhere (write once, run everywhere mantra).


• MS is purporting to offer a richer experience, but only if you run Longhorn.

Diametric opposites. One is extend and embrace; the other is to ignore conventions and standards and build something "better" on this single foundation.

This is going to get interesting.


And - while I understand MS's intentions(?) and all that, I still shudder when I read that quote: We - web designers/developers just recently emerged from the build-multiple-iterations-of-site morass with the now widely (to a degree...agreed) adopted Web standards (CSS and such).

I don't want to build two versions of every site again....