Java and Larry Ellison’s Thin-Client Flashback [Updated]
by John Paczkowski
Posted on June 2, 2009 at 2:33 PM PT
Java has a new evangelist: Oracle CEO Larry Ellison.
In his first public comments since announcing the Oracle (ORCL) acquisition of Sun Microsystems (JAVA) in April, Ellison told attendees of Sun’s annual JavaOne conference that he plans to continue promoting it.
“[Oracle] has invested more than anybody else in Java technology in terms of dollars over the years, and we intend to invest–and accelerate our investments–going forward,” he said, responding to concerns that this, the 14th JavaOne conference, might be Sun’s last. “I don’t expect a lot of changes, just expanded investment and a lot of enthusiasm coming from Oracle.”
Enthusiasm, indeed. Ellison clearly has big expectations for Java which he sees being used in consumer products such as netbooks or mobile devices. “I’m reading a lot in the newspaper about devices based on Java that are Android devices, which is very exciting,” he said. “And there are going to be net-netbooks based on Android. And I think … we can see lots and lots of Java devices, some coming from our friends at Google. But I don’t see why some of those devices shouldn’t come from Sun-Oracle. … So I think you’ll see us get very aggressive with Java and developing Java apps for things like telephones … and netbooks. There will be [computers and devices] fundamentally based on Java and JavaFX not only from Google, but also from Sun.”
Seems that Ellison, who a decade ago bloviated endlessly about “thin-client” computers only to see that market falter and fail to take off, is circling back to take another run at it, this time with netbooks.
[Note: The post below was updated 06.03.09 with quotes from the raw transcript of the interview]
Comments
A surprising number of technology predictions are accurate. It’s getting the timing right that’s so difficult. The proliferation of laptops have saved Microsoft’s bacon for now. In an office environment hundreds of thin clients are far easier to maintain than their fat counterparts. Unfortunately for Ellison’s earlier prediction the makers of thin clients saw fit to charge as much or more for them than fully loaded Windows machines. Duh.
The Netbooks negate the laptop complication though and the question becomes, not what Microsoft is, but how much they are going to charge for it.
As a network administrator or the family’s “computer expert” you look forward to fewer “support calls” and by now, you know you are not going to get that from your typical fat client (well, one of them anyway).
Posted by Mac Beach at June 3rd, 2009 at 3:35 pmUh, it’s more a question of when, not if. Lawrence has been a visionary for many a decade. If you read his booksd, which should be required reading, you’ll know he predicted all of this a decade ago. You’ll see more and more a move toward network computing and away from personal computing.
Posted by JAVA MARK at June 4th, 2009 at 4:28 pm