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Subject:
From:
Mike Kamrad <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Mike Kamrad <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 3 Dec 1997 21:42:36 -0600
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One of my office mates handed me a copy of the 25 November issue of the
Investor Business Daily.  In the Computers & Technology section was an
interview with Jean.  He has a new company called Textware Solutions, that
produces Windows software for rapid text entry.

The title of the interview is "With Hindsight, Ada Creator is a Java
Skeptic".  In the interview, he views Java as another niche language like
Ada.  Speed will be Java's downfall, because speed will always matter.  To
defend this point, Jean uses the example of trying to sell 166 MHz systems
when 200 MHz systems exist "-- with a performance advantage of only 10%!"
When faster Java compilation/execution does arrive, it'll be too late, and
suffer the same fate as Ada.  He claims that the Java's portability is a
niche feature, irrelevant for desktop market because "the desktop market,
sooner or later, is going to become 100% a Windows market...We may or may
not like the prospect of having a monopoly.  But on the other hand, from
the software vendor's point of view, having one operating system to support
is real blessing."

When asked whether he uses Ada for developing his software, he responded
no.  The availability of COTS software components compelled him to choose
otherwise [he never did say what language his company uses].  This is
another factor that makes the introduction of Java difficult, because they
are so far behind "Borland, Delphi, Visual Basic, C++."  He concluded, "We
are in a world where this availability of outside components is becoming a
tremendous factor, much more important than the language."

...and that's the way it is...mike

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