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.
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