sorry this mail doesn't belong to me.........
> 
> 
> 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. 
> 
> 


-- 
================================================================================
Liz Grigg                                           
Co-operative Education/Internships
Acadia University, Wolfville NS BOP IXO Canada
liz.grigg at acadiau.ca
phone = 902-585-1136
fax   = 902-585-1067
================================================================================