Sun delays launch of upgraded Javastation

Network computer will definitely miss the first quarter of 1999.

Sun's Javastation has been delayed yet again after the vendor99. confirmed that it would not launch its next-generation network computer in January as planned.

Previously, the manufacturer had told the industry that it expected to be able to ship the upgraded Javastation next month, but has now claimed that it will definitely miss the first quarter of 1999.

Simon Tindall, desktop marketing manager at Sun Microsystems, confirmed the delay and said: 'In terms of hardware, the dates of January and February are optimistic. It may be a couple of months after that.'

The original Javastation's commercial launch also experienced a number of delays. Sun unveiled the machine at press conferences around the world in October 1996 and the commercial release was expected in June the following year. However, when June arrived, there was no sign of the product.

Sun executives cited problems with the Java operating system and promised that the computer would ship in the fourth quarter of 1997. However, Sun held a Java conference in Germany in the fourth quarter, but had no Javastation for release, only a 50-foot-high model in pride of place on stage.

At the time, Sun said the computer would be ready for shipping in January 1998. This date was also missed - manufacturing problems with the processor were blamed for the delay. Two months later, the ill-fated Java-station finally arrived at the Java One conference in the US.

Tindall insisted that Sun needed to ensure the updated version was correct before it was shipped. 'There has been some criticism of the Javastation performance. Sun is ensuring that when it does come out, it doesn't get hit by the same criticisms,' he said. 'There's no point in launching something if it's not right.'

Tindall refused to be drawn on exactly how many customers had bought Javastations, but pointed out that 'many people are at the implementation stage'.

But Russ Crabbs, an analyst at IT research company Gartner, was sceptical of the Javastation's likely success. 'Sun claims to have 250 pilot programmes of Javastation, which should translate into hundreds of thousands of production shipments during the next 12 to 18 months,' he commented. 'We have yet to see broad support for Java devices and would maintain conservative estimates for these devices during the next two years.'