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 773.281.6003
              m3rabb at stono.com