Yeah, But

June 1996 / Bits / Yeah, But

Microsoft has rebounded strongly from a slow initial start in recognizing the importance of the Internet.
Yeah, but the commercial toolkits for writing ActiveX controls, and Microsoft's Internet Control Pack, aren't due until the third quarter of this year. The new Windows version of Microsoft's ActiveX-enabled Intern et Explorer 3.0 is slated to ship soon, but IE 3.0 for the Mac isn't slated to ship until the second half of the year.
Microsoft is not as Windows-centric as it was a year ago.
Yeah, but where's Microsoft's Unix Web server or browser? At press time, Microsoft was in the process of porting the Internet Services API to other, non-Microsoft Web servers for NT, but no time frame was given as to when that will be finished. Ditto support for ISAPI on Unix.
The message that programmers should stick with what they know -- (e.g., Visual Basic and Windows) and let Microsoft make it run on the Internet -- is powerful.
Yeah, but Java is here now, with lots of toolkits from multiple vendors. Microsoft has a good story for Windows-based companies, but it has a lot of work to do to support the multiplatform enterprise.

Go to next article: Tool Makers Take It to the Net

Matthew Wilson
My approach to software engineering is far more pragmatic than it is theoretical--and no language better exemplifies this than C++.

more...

BYTE Digest editors every month analyze and evaluate the best articles from Information Week, EE Times, Dr. Dobb's Journal, Network Computing, Sys Admin, and dozens of other CMP publications—bringing you critical news and information about wireless communication, computer security, software development, embedded systems, and more!

Find out more

BYTE CD-ROM

NOW, on one CD-ROM, you can instantly access more than 8 years of BYTE.

The Best of BYTE
Volume 1: Programming Languages

In this issue of Best of BYTE, we bring together some of the leading programming language designers and implementors...

Copyright © 2005 CMP Media LLC, Privacy Policy, Your California Privacy rights, Terms of Service
Site comments: webmaster@byte.com
SDMG Web Sites: BYTE.com, C/C++ Users Journal, Dr. Dobb's Journal, MSDN Magazine, New Architect, SD Expo, SD Magazine, Sys Admin, The Perl Journal, UnixReview.com, Windows Developer Network