At an internal Microsoft developers conference last week, a company official reportedly said that the minimum installation of the next Internet Explorer release would not include a Java Virtual Machine.

A developer who attended Dev Day '98 said the announcement came in a speech by a Microsoft product manager, entitled "What's New With IE 5." According to the developer, who asked not to be identified, the Microsoft speaker said that when a user does the minimum installation of IE5, then surfs to a site that uses Java, the user will be prompted with, "This site uses Java, which requires a Java Virtual Machine. Would you like to download it now?"

If Microsoft follows through with the move, it could result in a vastly reduced number of browsers on the Internet that support Sun Microsystems' prized programming language, since many users never bother to install software beyond what comes prepackaged.

Sun officials said the company would not comment on the possibility that a JVM would not be included in the minimum installation for IE browsers until it could verify Microsoft's plans for themselves.

Ironically, Sun announced today that it will soon ship a plug-in version of its own Java Virtual Machine, formerly codenamed Activator. But while Sun's plug-in may point to the ultimate architecture for Java support for the future, the move is not meant to replace Java Virtual Machines in browsers. Rather, it is there to ensure that browsers are using the most up-to-date JVMs. If they're not, the new

plug-in would update the software.

But for now, John Ross, president of the Java Lobby doubts that Microsoft is simply out to provide a new model for Java support. "I'm not naive. I believe that Microsoft has demonstrated pattern behavior that reflects an anti-Java intention. It is most unlikely that Microsoft will abruptly turn and do an about-face from its position."

(c) Wired News