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Java against the (Microsoft) world

Does the war between the Java camp and Microsoft really matter?

By Anil Hemrajani, JavaWorld.com, 06/01/01

Page 2 of 2

On the flip side, if you want a mission-critical quality environment, you usually pay through the nose. For example, a typical multitier, Internet-based application consists of a Web browser on the client side, an application server (e.g., WebLogic Server) in the middle tier, and a database (e.g., Oracle) on the back end. This can easily cost in the tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the configuration of the hardware this software will be deployed on.

I must admit that the construction of Java applications is not an easy task either. Even though Java development and deployment tools have come a long way, they do not come close to the ease of use of proprietary Microsoft tools such as Visual Interdev. With technologies like Microsoft Internet Information Server, COM/DCOM, and Microsoft Transaction Server included in the Microsoft operating system, the cost of acquiring similar functionality with a Java-based application server such as WebLogic or iPlanet is often tough to justify.

Java forever

Still, I believe Java application development and deployment is the way to go. Use whatever infrastructure (i.e., hardware, operating system, database) you want, but ensure that the application layer is pure Java. Factors such as Java's performance, challenges of object-oriented development, lack of platform-specific features, and poor development tools are often cited as arguments against Java. Nevertheless, the benefits of Java technology and standards, in my opinion, far outweigh any disadvantages.

Discuss your thoughts in the iSavvix Soapbox forum for this column.

About the author

Anil Hemrajani is chief technology officer at iSavvix, a technology services firm for full-service Java and Internet technology solutions. He welcomes your comments and questions about this column.

 

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