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Re: Inferno marketing vs. Java marketing -Reply

>    Hi,
> 
>    My opinion is that inferno will be succesful if and only if it
> provides an awesome (and free) Web browser with a large set of colorful
> (possibly useless) applets. The success of Java was initially due to
> the existence of HotJava (even if we don't see many HotJava today).
> This Web browser will be the hook to catch the herds of new Internet
> users that are now deciding the successfulness of new products.

Actually, I believe Java was noticed because of HotJava, but its 
market domination has Sun written all over it. Python and Tcl/Tk now 
have most of the functionality of Java (cross-platform, networking 
support, GUI tools, and both have a neato-keen browser), but Python 
doesn't have a marketing arm, and Tcl/Tk (which is driven by... 
ta-da! Sun) is being aimed at a niche (applets) that Java is trying 
to get _out_ of. A good browser for Inferno would be just the tip of 
the iceberg.
 
No, I think what would really impress the media (which, not 
incidentally, was the driving force behind Java) would be a huge 
client-server network that shows off the networking and other 
strengths of Inferno -- an InferNet, if you will. There could be 
incredible examples of distributed computing, streaming video, and so 
on: what I've seen of Inferno is just the tip of the iceberg compared 
to what I believe to be possible. (I also think that more source, 
including third-party "look what I can do" code, would do wonders for 
the Limbo community. Java had Gamelan for that. I think I'd be 
willing to free up some web space if the admins of Vanni Fucci, et 
al., aren't already planning to do so...)

Heh. Want to do something impressive with Inferno? Make one of those 
WebTV set-top boxes do something useful. :)

----
Matthew May
MIS Manager, The Expert Marketplace
http://expert-market.com/
http://expert-market.com/~mcmay/resume.html