[ILUG] Software Choice

[Silent Partner]

> Padraig Brady wrote:
> > Thanks for all the info!
> > I'm a little confused about the java VM though.
> > You say they're "illegally redistributing an old Microsoft Java
VM"
> > i.e. http://www.ros.ie/info/msjavx86.exe

I'm out of touch with the mac scene for about 2 years, so don't know
about the apple link, but I do know that Microsoft do not grant
re-distribution rights to downloaders of the VM. In the event that ROS
/ Accenture wanted to redistribute this old VM to make the site work,
they would have entered into a licence arrangement with Microsoft, and
the download would have been required to be packaged with the
Microsoft Internet Administration Kit to comply with distribution
rights & practices.

Apple VM's for IE would probably have been developed by Apple or in
conjunction with Apple, and remember Microsoft paying Apple US$130 to
support the platform? Apple and Microsoft are not only friends, but
Microsoft for obvious reasons are actively lending their support to
keep the OS alive, and you can expect that there are plenty of
gentleman agreements between the two. Accenture on the other hand
building a site on top of Netscape Application Server, on Sun Sparc /
Solaris hardware and OS, implentation with SUN JAVA..... I'm getting a
severe anti Microsoft feeling.... and Microsoft would most definately
required somthing to be deployed on IIS or built using ActiveX
controls before allowing Accenture to save their ass with an old JVM
download, especially when that download poses a security risk, and
doestn't conform to the microsoft update philosophy.

Anyway, ROS are in problems in the very short term, because the
standard Microsoft VM download will most certainly be in line with JRE
1.4 very very shortly, ie, next 6 months, and therefore the only way
Accenture can keep ROS working is to provide the old VM download, and
instructions on how to disable "windows update", and tips to keep bug
and security fixes out of you JVM. Death and taxes may be certain, but
people organising their entire computer setup to accomodate ROS is
most not guaranteed, and if this is the path for the future, then they
cannot expect their current 1% adoption rate to increase anywhere near
the 50% adoption rate required by 2005. Yeah, 16Million taxpayers
pounds down into Accentures pockets to build a crap disfunctional site
that only 1% of the target audience are adopting. I can't wait to see
senior civil servants and ministers resigning over this one.

My sincere apologies for the multiple occurances of the word
"microsoft" in this mail, I hope I have broken anybody's awk scripts.

SP

> > But they also provide a link to the same VM for apple users:
> > http://asu.info.apple.com/swupdates.nsf/artnum/n11927
>
> That is actually an invalid link, but it is available at apple @:
> http://tardis.redbrick.dcu.ie/448/download.info.apple.com
>
> > So does that mean apple are doing this illegally so?
> > Why is it illegal exactly?
> >
> > thanks,
> > Padraig.
> >
>
>
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