Lotus eSuite: Microsoft Office suite may have its first serious challenger in what's shaping up to be a David and Goliath battle. IBM's Lotus software division today announced a bevy of companies that will support its upcoming eSuite Java applets, which are small (about 500K), focused applications designed to run on slimmed-down desktop and network computers. Sun Microsystems, Oracle, Novell, AOL, and Netscape are among the companies that will bundle the eSuite software in new products and services.
The eSuite applications include a spreadsheet, email, calendar, and word processor, all of which can be downloaded from central servers. Expected to be available early next year, the suite will cost US$49 per user; a DevPack, for creating Java applications, will cost $1,495.
Home-based LANs: Proving that home computer networks aren't just for the super-rich, Microsoft and Tut Systems have teamed up to promote home-based LANs.
In a deal announced today, the companies will support third-party software and hardware development on plug-and-play components - PCs, peripherals, Internet appliances - for home use.
Tut's HomeRun product is able to connect PCs with standard copper telephone wiring to create a 1.3 Mbps Ethernet LAN, with no need for filters or splitters to separate the frequencies. Multiple devices can be plugged into the network from distances of 500 feet or less. (3.Nov.97)
