Microsoft Agrees to Modify Windows 98 to Comply with Federal Court Order

Strategic Insights -

Microsoft has agreed to modify its popular Windows 98 operating system to comply with a federal court order, following a judge's ruling that the software company had illegally used the Sun Microsystems Java program. The modification, costing millions of dollars, will prevent future shipments of Windows 98 from including a "polluted" version of Java, which Sun claims defeats the language's function as a universal programming language.

The judge's decision is seen as a significant blow to Microsoft's dominance in the software industry and could have far-reaching implications for the company's ongoing antitrust case. Microsoft's rivals, including IBM, Netscape Communications, and Novell, have long supported Java as a way to create software that can run on multiple operating systems.

Key Takeaways:

  • Microsoft has agreed to modify Windows 98 to comply with a federal court order, costing millions of dollars.
  • The modification will prevent future shipments of Windows 98 from including a "polluted" version of Java.
  • The judge's decision is seen as a significant blow to Microsoft's dominance in the software industry.
  • Microsoft's rivals, including IBM, Netscape Communications, and Novell, have long supported Java as a way to create software that can run on multiple operating systems.
  • Microsoft has been accused of trying to stifle the threat of Java as part of the company's abuse of monopoly power.
  • The company's chairman, Bill Gates, wrote in an email that he could "abide" IBM's "software ambitions" if they weren't "such rabid Java backers."
  • Judge Whyte gave Microsoft 90 days to comply with the order, and a full trial on the issue is expected next year.

Statistics:

  • Microsoft controls 90% of the market for operating systems with Windows.
  • Sun Microsystems' Java program was introduced in 1995.
  • Java is believed to have the potential to allow software developers to create programs that can work on any computer, regardless of the operating system.
  • Microsoft's Windows operating system has been a major point of contention in the company's ongoing antitrust case.

Sources:

  • "Microsoft to modify Windows 98" by MARK TRAN in the NEW YORK TIMES
  • "Judge Orders Microsoft to Modify Windows 98" by REUTERS, AP, and BLOOMBERG
  • "Java: The Programmers' Friend" by Janet Wichman, WASHINGTON POST
  • Microsoft's official website
  • Sun Microsystems' official website