Sun Promotes Windows Alternative

Seizing the opportunity to criticize a competitor and promote its own operating system, Sun Microsystems has opened up early registration for its Project Mad Hatter.

Designed to compete with Microsoft, Project Mad Hatter is being positioned by Sun as a cheaper, secure alternative desktop operating system to Microsoft's various desktop offerings. The announcement was made as the MSBlaster worm, which exploits Windows, continues to spread.

Progress on OS

Peder Ulander, director of marketing for desktop solutions at Sun Microsystems, revealed that Sun's as-yet-unnamed desktop operating system will be available in September at its annual SunNetwork user conference. At that time the company will reveal pricing, the name of the product, and the business model for selling it, Ulander says.

Ulander describes the future OS as an "alternative enterprise desktop client" that relies on open standards and open file formats. He added that the desktop client will provide all of the functions 80 percent of enterprise employees require today.

"It is the exact same functionality at a fourth the cost, and (it) is not as vulnerable to viruses," Ulander says.

When asked how he knows it is not as vulnerable to viruses, Ulander explained it will have fewer holes to exploits due to the fact it is built on top of Linux.

"How (Microsoft) built their OS makes it fairly easy to exploit," Ulander says. "Virus writers can script to their macro environment."

Jabbing Rivals

Sun's announcement of its Project Mad Hatter plans also includes a shot at Microsoft.

Jonathan Schwartz, executive vice president at Sun, is quoted in the Sun statement as saying "reliance on a single vendor for desktop deployments represents an Achilles heel in the safety and security of the world's network infrastructure."

However, Sun has been a similar target. Rival Hewlett-Packard once rallied its troops by satirizing Sun's Mad Hatter project and Chief Executive Officer Scott McNealy. An internal cartoon characterized McNealy as the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland.