Well first, this is how it all started:
(from
http://www.teknirvana.com/internal_documents/Lawsuit.pdf)
The Facts
The announcement and widespread popularity of the JAVA Programming language resulted in an
immediate appreciation of the threat posed by Sun's JAVA technology to the foundations of the
Microsoft monopoly. So pronounced was the threat that in September 1996, Bill Gates warned his
staff "This scares the hell out of me".
Microsoft had three legitimate choices:
· Ignore Sun's technology and hope that it would fail.
· Independently develop and distribute products that incorporated its own technology to
compete against JAVA.
· License JAVA technology from Sun and become a distributor of products that incorporate
JAVA technology.
Microsoft chose the third option.
On March 11th, 1996, Microsoft entered into two written agreements (the "contract") with Sun
Microsystems. The two agreements included a Trademark license and a Technology License and
Distribution Agreement (TLDA). These agreements granted Microsoft the right to make and
distribute products incorporating Sun's JAVA Technology, and to mark such products with Sun's
JAVA Compatible trademark.
And here is this:
(from
http://lists.evolt.org/archive/Week-of-Mon-20020805/119867.html Aug. 2002)
>What are the differences, and relative benefits, of the Sun Java VM vs.
>Microsoft's VM? Objective advice, please, no "because microsoft sucks".
Microsoft's JVM is stuck at version 1.1.4.
Sun's JVM is at version 1.4 and is much more mature.
Microsoft's JVM only runs on Microsoft Windows.
Sun's JVM runs on a variety of platforms.
Microsoft's JVM has hooks to the Win32 API's (J/Direct).
Sun's JVM has also hooks for native code, but you have
to develop them yourself.
Microsoft's JVM was very fast, but this is probably a
moot point because of its age. Newer JVM's not only
made progress in features, but also in speed.
Microsoft has publicly stated they won't support Java
soon. (In a couple of years?).
So it's kinda... "Pick the one you like"