Microsoft's decision to limit Windows NT Workstation 4.0, which was released to manufacturing, to 10 simultaneous Internet Protocol connections drew fire from a wide range of critics. The move, which made it unusable as a platform for Internet server products such as WebSite from O'Reilly & Associates, was apparently aimed at nudging potential Webmasters toward the more expensive NT Server. An O'Reilly press release publicizing the decision sparked howls of protest on Usenet newsgroups, and Microsoft quickly reversed course and lifted the limit. However, at presstime Microsoft said it had no plans to change the product's license agreement, which still prohibits what the technology now allows.
Corel, which is embracing Java in a big way, licensed Java source code from JavaSoft and plans to include Java Virtual Machine in its own products, beginning with Ventura and Java; WordPerfect will be added to the mix eventually.
And you thought DOS was dead? UNIX variant maker Caldera, now led by Novell founder Ray Noorda, acquired DR-DOS from Novell, then filed suit against Microsoft, accusing it of anti-competitive pricing and licensing of MS-DOS. Microsoft responded that the DOS wars had been over for a good seven years. The suit echoes the Department of Justice's complaint against Microsoft, which was itself settled last year.
In the first, but surely not the last, action of its kind. the Software Publishers Association sued an individual for illegal distribution of software over the Internet.
Getting closer to its promise of openness for ActiveX, Microsoft pledged to switch the specs and appropriate technology to an independent standards group.
Excel got hit with Macro/Laroux, the first virus identified in the spreadsheet program; previously, only Word had been affected by macro viruses.