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. 
 
 
  >>