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Sun Gets Open Source Into NSW Government
lplatypus writes "ZDNet Australia reports that Sun Microsystems has "has cleared a place for its Java Enterprise System on the NSW government's software shelf, continuing its campaign to weaken Microsoft's monopoly over the desktop." The Age clarifies that Sun's offering includes open source components such as Linux, Gnome, Mozilla and Evolution. Another article is at Australian IT, or see Sun's press release."
On the contrary, I'm doing computer science in a university in NSW and our main UNIX servers (on SPARCs) run SunOS while some labs triple boot Win2k, Linux and Solaris. Since most of our code are to be compiled and checked on the SunOS servers and we use several Sun tools, there has been some interest by students to acquire Solaris under the free binary program.
Sun is very much alive in my uni.
No, it won't be, at least for this first release.
... and yes, Sun does submit back as required)
... that's per system, not per user, so it may be more beneficial in some situations and less in other.
Java Desktop System, aka Mad Hatter, is built on top of SuSE Linux Desktop 1.0. Since SLD is a non-free distribution, Sun hasn't secured the rights to put it up for download.
Right now JDS is integrated into the basic install process along with the branded SuSE distribution, therefore it is not available as a separate add-on CD like Ximian Desktop 2.
I'm not saying it never will be able to do something like this, only that this initial release will not. In the future it may be possible download in some form when JDS runs on additional platforms.
Of course, you can build a nearly functional equivalent using whatever Open Source OS you wanted along with the various desktop softwares. Some (not all) of the things you won't get will be:
* The Evolution Sun ONE Calendar Server connector
* The "Blueprint" theme / look / feel
* Various improvements to each of the software modules (unless you incorporate the Sun patches which have not yet been incorporated into the main project trees
* Improved Internationalization / Localization (though this first release will have limited improvements here)
Also, it's $50/year/user, but to get that pricing you have to have a Java Enterprise System (JES) subscription (which is $100/user/year, making it $150/user/year for JES + JDS).
There is a separate JDS shrinkwrap pricing model which is $100/system/year
It is more productive to voice thoughtful opinions (reply) than to judge (moderate) others.
I was looking for jobs on Dice the other day and saw a place in NYC that has 13,000 Sun servers world wide. Thirteen thousand.
They also have 800 Red Hat servers.
Sorry guys, but until places like this get rid of their servers Sun is a far cry from dead.
Err, you do realize that the "Java Desktop" is just what Sun is calling their desktop environment (consisting of Gnome, Evolution, and the like) which really has very little to do with Java at all?
Exactly why they chose the name they did.
... there were a lot of long debates between various groups on naming. As one might imagine, "Sun Desktop System" as well as other options were all considered. However, Sun has decided across the board to use the "Java [variable] System" naming scheme for the software product suites (Java Enterprise System rebranding for the various Sun ONE components, etc). Essentially "Java" becomes the software brand (with exceptions like Solaris, which is a good thing since calling Solaris something like the "Java Operating System" would be REALLY bad and would also be exclusive of Linux) and "Sun" becomes the hardware brand.
Sun is trying to expand recognition of the new products by leveraging the existing recognition of the "Java" name and its association with Sun.
Naturally there are going to be plenty of folks who think it's just plain off-base, but those people already know Sun and Java in depth. The idea is to get into the minds of the people who aren't as familiar with either but who still have a low-level association and recognition of the names.
Java as a technology is still important and is being showcased in this product.
FWIW, I'm not saying pro or con on this decision
It will take some getting used to, but at least it is consistent enough that it will eventually make sense and apply to more than just this one product as long as that consistency is retained for a long time.
It is more productive to voice thoughtful opinions (reply) than to judge (moderate) others.
that's $15,000 NOT $150,000. If you only need madhatter it's 100 * 100 = $10,000