Newsgroup: it.fan.studio-vit
Titolo: IE update (lungo)

To our Internet Explorer licensees:
Microsoft is in an ongoing contract dispute with Sun Microsystems
regarding 
Java and Microsoft’s Java Virtual Machine.  On November 17, 1998 the 
San Jose Federal District Court granted Sun Microsystems’ request for
a 
preliminary injunction.  The preliminary injunction requires Microsoft
to make, 
within 90 days, certain changes to the Java virtual machine that is
included in 
the Windows operating system, as part of the Internet Explorer
technologies, 
and in our development tools products.  While we respect the Court’s
order, 
we disagree with its legal conclusions.  We intend to comply with the
order, 
but at the same time we are evaluating all of our legal options.  
In the meantime, we want you to understand what the order says
regarding 
Microsoft products, and what the order means for you.  
This order is a preliminary ruling on a specific contract issue
between 
Microsoft and Sun.  The ruling does not affect existing users of 
Internet Explorer  or your current distribution of Internet Explorer
technologies 
as part of your  products.  It does not impede Microsoft’s ability to
deliver 
great products with Java language support. No products need to be
removed 
from the retail channel, and Microsoft does not anticipate any
disruption 
in the shipment of Windows, the Internet Explorer technologies, or our
development tools as a result of this order.
The order requires Microsoft to implement Sun’s Java Native Interface
(“JNI”) 
in the Microsoft Virtual Machine for Java.  We are also required to
modify our 
Visual J++ development system and our Software Development Kit for
Java. 
In particular, Microsoft’s language extensions (“multicast” and
“delegate”) 
and compiler directives (“@com”, “@dll”, and “@security”) need to be 
turned off by default, and certain text needs to be displayed in a
dialog box 
when these features are turned on by the user.  The Court’s order
allows 
us 90 days to accomplish these tasks and provides that we may ask the 
Court for additional time if necessary. 
You should take note of the following key facts about the ruling and
how it 
relates to your use of the Internet Explorer technologies in your
products:
* You may continue to use and distribute Internet Explorer just as you
   do today.
* Microsoft will be creating an update patch to Internet Explorer to
include 
   a revised Java Virtual Machine.  When Microsoft makes the patch
available, 
   we ask that you make it available (by web download or pointer to
Microsoft’s 
   web download) to your customers.
* Your Internet Explorer license and distribution agreement stipulates
that if 
   Microsoft makes a new release of Internet Explorer available, you
must use 
   reasonable efforts to cease reproduction and distribution of the 
   older version of Internet Explorer and promptly commence
reproduction 
   and distribution of the new version, provided that you may deplete 
   existing inventory.  
* Microsoft asks that you employ reasonable efforts to move to the 
   new release of Internet Explorer when Microsoft makes it available
to you.
* The updated Java Virtual Machine will be made available via the
Automatic 
   Version Synchronization feature in the IEAK, so it can be easily
downloaded 
   and built into your product(s). We"ll notify you when it"s
available.
* The order does not require any functionality to be removed from 
    the Microsoft Java Virtual Machine, so all web pages and web-based
    applications will continue to work just as they do today.
Microsoft will update the Internet Explorer technologies as follows:
* Internet Explorer version 5 and IEAK version 5 will be released with
   a revised  Java Virtual Machine.
* Internet Explorer 4.x for Win32 will be re-released with a revised
Java VM.  
   Microsoft will also release a “patch” to update existing versions
of 
   Internet Explorer 4.x for Win32.  Both the new release and the
patch will be 
   available within the next few weeks.
* Internet Explorer 4.x for the Macintosh and for UNIX will be
re-released 
   without a Microsoft Java VM.  Instead, users will be directed to
the VM 
   already available on the host operating systems.
* Internet Explorer 4.x for the Win16 operating system platform is not
   affected by the ruling and will not be re-released.
We will offer our current Windows end-users a Service Pack with a
revised 
Java Virtual Machine.  Users will be free to download this Service
Pack from 
our website, but the order does not require them to do so.  We will
publicly 
announce the availability of this Service Pack when it is ready.
We are still considering how best to comply with the Court’s order to
provide  
a solution for our Visual J++ development system and Microsoft
Software 
Development Kit for Java customers.  All of our customers are free to 
continue using these products in the meantime.
Microsoft apologizes for any concerns this order may have caused, and
we 
want you to know that we will do our best to minimize any disruption. 
Microsoft will continue to provide the tools necessary to enable our 
customers to use the Java language to access the rich functionality 
of Windows, while protecting the development investments you have 
made to date.  We appreciate your patience and understanding.  
To all of those who have voiced their support for us, we send 
our sincere thanks.  
If you have any questions, please contact your Microsoft
representative 
or send email to 
ieak...@microsoft.com
.
Sincerely,
The Microsoft Windows Client Group

Ehm.... allora?