Sun Java Desktop - 200 million copies to China!!!

FYI...Can we say "HUGE"
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http://siliconvalley.internet.com/news/print.php/3286251
"...Sun inked a landmark deal with the Chinese government to use the Java Desktop (formerly known as Mad Hatter) as the standard desktop in the People's Republic of China. China's initial plans include installing at least 200 million copies of the open-standards-based software throughout the country...Sun is still considering a $10 to $20 per-citizen pricing model for the system..."
http://siliconvalley.internet.com/news/print.php/3111781
"...Sun's desktop software costs $100 per employee in the United States..."China is a very hard sell and the general belief was that either IBM or HP was going to get this business"...The Linux-based platform includes the new StarOffice 7 word processor/spreadsheet/presentation platform; the Mozilla open source browser; Evolution e-mail client; RealNetworks' RealONE player and Macromedia Flash. The operating system also includes Looking Glass, a new visualization interface that lets users surf around in interactive 3D-like environments..."

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look at the market cap of SUNW and then look at the market cap of MSFT...

BTW the NA in the PE slot for Sun Microsystems means they have been/and are losing money...

makes sense when you see deals like this.

in other words how long can a company give away stuff until it is no longer a viable entity

 

...And how long will the current customer base of the "viable entity" continue to tolerate "...a company with legendary market dominance (that) lose(s) sight of customer priorities, and force(s) an unnecessary transition onto a customer base already paralyzed with viruses and security breaches..."?
- http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/12/18/HNschwartzmicrosoft_1.html

Not too much longer, methinks...

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as long as it takes for the next company with that better product to step into the breach...

problem is that next company will also have undiscovered vulnerabilities...

also interesting to see other factors escape blame when you have the easy big M$ target as an easy fall guy...

http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/12/17/HNbadmath_1.html

show me the perfect system, and the given market dominance which follows, and time will show you that perfect system is imperfect also...

free enterprise works to continuously improve... sometimes not as fast as some would like