Jacking in from the "In Your Face" Port:

[Dave Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

CyberWire Dispatch // Copyright (c) 1994 //




Jacking in from the "In Your Face" Port:




Former Novell Chairman Quietly Funds 
Windows Killer Clone Software
-----------------------
By Wendy Goldman Rohm
Special Correspondent to Dispatch




Former Novell Inc. chairman Ray Noorda, who stepped down from the
company last fall, has been anything but "retiring" over the past
several months. The 70-year old arch nemesis of Microsoft chairman Bill
Gates  has quietly funded two new companies to create an alternative to
Microsoft's Windows operating system.


The two companies--known as Caldera Inc. and Willows Software Inc.--are
focusing on a commercial shrink-wrapped version of a new
Windows-compatible operating system, and the technology underlying the
software--respectively. "We're trying to give the world the first real
alternative to Microsoft Windows," said a Caldera executive who asked to
remain unnamed. 


Caldera is readying a retail product that it hopes to be selling to
consumers by the summer, at the price of $89. The product is currently
code-named "Caldera Desktop."
    
In coming weeks, Novell is expected to announce a partnership with at
least one of the companies through which it will license technology that
will allow its network-centric Corsair 3-D graphical interface,  and its
accompanying "Ferret" information browser, to also be used by virtually
all personal computers--from Mac, to Windows machines, to PowerPC
devices. 


Caldera and Willow, bent on providing an alternative desktop operating
system environment, in effect are attempting to "legally clone Windows,"
say company insiders. The "Caldera Desktop," will be a full 32-bit
operating system that will be able to run on all desktop computers,
according to sources at the company.        
          
Novell carefully did a legal analysis of the project early on to
determine that the creation of the API would not infringe on
intellectual property held by Microsoft. "We had some of the best
attorneys in the industry go through that," said one Novell executive
involved early on in the project. The software will act as a stand-alone
desktop operating system, or as a client to the full Novell Corsair
environment.


A strategy to create the interactive "information dialtone" for the 21st
century--begun by former Novell chairman Ray Noorda almost two years
ago--involved the new desktop operating system. However, the desktop
component of the Novell strategy was broken off by Robert Frankenberg,
Noorda's replacement, when the new Novell chief balked at competing with
Microsoft head on, Novell insiders said. 


"Frankenberg thought we should just focus on the network," said a
high-ranking Novell executive. Novell is the leader in network software,
with its flagship product Netware.
     
Last fall, Novell demonstrated the network portion of the technology,
Corsair,  as a new user interface for Netware. Corsair is what CEO
Robert Frankenberg likes to call a"net top," a user-friendly  interface for
navigating around computernetworks---and the Internet-- that is icon-based,
uses 3-D graphics, andphotographic-quality images, a more sophisticated
approach than thecartoon figure
s in Microsoft's Bob interface, some analysts contend.
    
Corsair is icon-based and will appear on personal computers, Personal
DigialAssistants (PDAs), set top boxes, laptops, or any devices linked to
the network. Clicking on objects launches applications, including direct
access to the Internet.


While  Novell's Wordperfect group is developing system development kits for
other software companies to quickly allow their applications to be
Corsair-compatible, Noorda's Willow software is creating the desktop
computer technology that will enable existing Windows applications to
run on Caldera's forthcoming Windows clone.


According to Caldera executives who asked to remain unnamed,  Noorda
will license back this desktop software technology to Novell for use in its
higher-end Corsair interface.
      
Former Novell executive Ransom Love was instrumental in the formation of
Caldera, his colleagues say. Love currently heads up much of the Caldera
effort.


"Ray's and Novell's interest in this project is we wanted to put Netware
in your face, like Microsoft puts Windows in your face," Love
acknowledged, declining to comment further on the company's
productplans.
      
Corsair's "browser" component, Ferret, was developed as part of the
original Corsair team. When Frankenberg took over, he decided to focus
on the universal interface that will make it easy for users to access
apllications and servcies across the board.  The stand-alone portion of the
Corsair environment was passed off to Noorda's company Caldera. 
   
Novell is expected to move Ferret over to the Caldera technology, which
will allow that software to work on all Unix, Mac and Windows platforms.
Caldera is hoping to entice other software developers with the promise
that using its technology will free them from dependence on Microsoft,
and will mean that their Windows software will also run on Macintosh and
PowerPC computers.
    
The Caldera desktop will also include Truetype fonts, as Windows does.
It also uses the public domain Unix software known as Linux as its
kernel. 


About a year ago, Noorda also applied for a trademark on the term
"Novell Windows," which began a heated battle behind the scenes between
Novell and Microsoft attorneys.


When Frankenberg took over, in one of his first meetings with Microsoft
chairman Bill Gates, in an act of diplomacy,  he agreed to relinquish the
company's request to use the "Windows" moniker.


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