Oracle wants "netbooks based on Java"

 

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By Reuters

Posted on 3 Jun 2009 at 09:36

Oracle chief executive says his company will be "aggressive" in using Java to extend its footprint onto netbooks and other electronic gadgets.

Larry Ellison claims he wants to boost use of Java software on netbooks and other devices after his company completes its planned $7 billion purchase of Sun Microsystems.

"You'll see us get very aggressive with Java, and developing Java apps for things like telephones and netbooks," he told programmers attending a Java users conference in San Francisco. "There will be computers that are fundamentally based on Java."

He called on the group of programmers to develop applications for netbooks and mobile phones using JavaFX, a new version of the widely used programming language designed to deliver applications over the internet.

Java allows developers to write one set of code that will run on multiple operating systems - including Windows, OS X and Linux.

It's no wonder Ellison is keen to join the netbook bandwagon. Analysts forecast 20 million to 30 million netbooks will be sold this year, making them one of the few tech sectors still experiencing robust revenue growth.

Although netbooks are relatively new, it is an area in which Ellison has shown past interest. More then a decade ago he introduced a lightweight alternative to the PC known as the Network Computer, which was built primarily to connect to the internet. The machines, which competed with ones running on Windows operating system, failed to take off after their launch in 1996.