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>I do not only think he was right to lose sleep over it: I think Java delivered. He's not losing sleep over Java, the language, becoming popular. He's losing s
by mrcwinn 5y ago
>I do not only think he was right to lose sleep over it: I think Java delivered.
He's not losing sleep over Java, the language, becoming popular. He's losing sleep over the threat to the business (at the time, operating systems). I think if you consider Microsoft's market cap ($2.39 trillion this morning), despite some bumps along the way, Microsoft protected and grew its value.
It's not to say Java hasn't enabled monetization. But if you have "billions of Java smartcards" and the long tail of those installs don't create much value or affect Microsoft's bottom line, then, to Bill, that particular point is moot.
(Edited typo)
- xtracto 5y agoI think Gates didn't have anything to worry about regarding Java... at the end of the day, the company that created it went under the water in 2009. Java as a technology was great, but as a business just didn't cut it.
- ThrowawayR2 5y agoNobody knew that at the time. 2000 is the peak for both for companies before the dotcom bust and Sun Microsystems had $18.3 billion in revenue, not that far behind Microsoft's $22.9 billion in revenue.
- garbagecoder 5y agoAnd wasn’t part of that that MS made it’s own implementation? One that I recall being preferable as a user.