mcnealy

Much ado about former Sun CEO's 'congratulations' to Google

For the jury evaluating testimony by the cast of Oracle and Google in their ongoing legal slugfest, the blog post by former Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz is one of the more prominent, and less technical, points of contention in the trial. In both the copyright and the current patent phase of the trial, the blog post has been central to Google's defense.

In his testimony, Schwartz stated that he had to grit his teeth, but saw no cause to sue Google over its use of the Java programming language in the Android mobile platform. Google's counsel played up … Read more

Oracle-Google trial puts ex-Sun execs on opposite sides

Last updated August 29, 3:30 AM PT, with a correction on Java inventor James Gosling's view on the suit, and an additional quote from former Sun chief open source officer Simon Phipps.

In the two weeks that the Oracle v. Google trial has been under way, it's become clear that Sun's top executives weren't unified in their thinking about whether Java could be used without a license from the company.

Oracle, which acquired Sun and the Java brand in January 2010, contends that Google's Android mobile platform infringed on intellectual property … Read more

Oracle turns to McNealy to bolster its case

SAN FRANCISCO -- Following former Sun Microsystems CEO Jonathan Schwartz's eager but sometimes tension-filled appearance on the stand this morning, Sun co-founder Scott McNealy appeared for testimony at the U.S. District Court.

McNealy was actually called to the stand by Oracle, even though Google is still in the middle of presenting its case. Google counsel Robert Van Nest stressed to Judge William Alsup that he wanted the jury to know that Google was accommodating … Read more

Buzz Out Loud Podcast 1153: iPad? Yes. Apple named it iPad.

We recorded right after Steve Jobs finished his 90-minute announcement of the Apple iPad, Apple's new tablet computer. It's variably impressive depending on who you are, but will anyone buy it? We discuss. Also, it's over for the Mars rover Spirit. At least the roving part is over, but it's still alive and doing science.

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 1153

Apple iPad tablet http://news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-10440943-260.html

After three months, only 35 subscriptions for Newsday’s Web site http://www.observer.com/2010/media/after-three-months-only-35-subscriptions-newsdays-web-site… Read more

Ellison: Java-based Netbooks on Sun's horizon

Oracle CEO Larry Ellison wants to see Java on a lot more devices, particularly mobile phones and Netbooks. Whether or not the combined Oracle/Sun builds such devices, Ellison expects to pour more money and research into Java's development.

The tech community has been wondering what will happen to Java now that its new parent will be Oracle, courtesy of the database giant's impending $7.4 billion buyout of Sun Microsystems, which is expected to close this summer.

At Tuesday's JavaOne conference in San Francisco, Ellison made a surprise appearance on stage, where he spoke with Sun … Read more

Obama wants to know: Why open source?

President Barack Obama is a smart guy. Where others zig, he zags. It's perhaps not surprising, then, that he's been asking around about the benefits of open source, according to Sun Chairman Scott McNealy, who has been asked by President Obama to author a white paper on the benefits the U.S. government can derive from open source.

McNealy, cited in a BBC News story, wasn't shy in identifying them:

It's intuitively obvious open source is more cost effective and productive than proprietary software....The government ought to mandate open-source products based on open-source reference implementations … Read more

Sun's quest to help telcos

LAS VEGAS--Sun Microsystems co-founder and Chairman Scott McNealy wants to help phone companies become "destinations," he said during a speech at the NXTcomm trade show here Wednesday.

Specifically, he wants to help these companies develop their businesses around services and content rather than simply providing connectivity to other Web sites on the Net. Sun provides the server technology and data center management services necessary to distribute content on the Web.

As part of its ongoing effort to help phone companies evolve their businesses in the next generation of the Internet, Sun announced on Wednesday a new version of … Read more

The best decision Scott McNealy ever made

Sometimes the best decisions become clear only with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight. So I'm sure Scott McNealy, the most cocksure tech CEO I ever met, must know he made the right move getting out of the way at Sun Microsystems.

Since turning over the reins to Jonathan Schwartz in April 2006, Sun has picked itself off the floor, staging one of the more improbable corporate comebacks in recent Silicon Valley history. Come on now, fess up: how many of you believed Sun had a rendezvous with irrelevance? OK, I'll be first to raise my hand. After … Read more

Report: Samsung prepping Java phone

In a development that could be anywhere interesting, sleep-inducing or potentially even fictitious, Sun Microsystems Chairman Scott McNealy said Samsung is building a Java phone that will have better features and lower cost than Apple's iPhone.

At least, that's what the Associated Press story about a report in the Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo.

Java is open-source software that at least in principle lets the same program run without having to be modified for different hardware. It's already widely used on mobile phones, including models from Samsung. What could make this story more interesting is if Samsung is … Read more

Say what? Corporate leadership hinges on...drinking?

Jonathan Schwartz, chief executive of Sun Microsystems, sat down for a public chat with Fortune at the magazine's first iMeme technology conference on Thursday. In noting some of the differences between him and his predecessor, Scott McNealy, who handed over the reins about a year ago, Schwartz said: "He likes to drink wine out of a box; I like to drink wine out of a bottle."

News.com's Kari Dean McCarthy offered this quip in response: "Maybe they should hire someone who likes to drink wine out of a glass and see where that takes … Read more