In a move aimed squarely at Microsoft, Sun Microsystems unveiled on Tuesday a suite of software for businesses that want to dump — or just can’t afford — the Windows operating system on their companies’ desktop computers.
The Sun Java Desktop system, which was formerly code-named Mad Hatter, runs on the open-source Linux operating system and includes a variety of programs that replace Microsoft’s Internet browser, productivity suite and other parts of the Windows package.
Sun officials say its system will cost as little as $50 per user per year and can be installed on any computer that can run Microsoft’s Office 2000. The software also is designed to interoperate with Windows-based programs such as Exchange and Microsoft Office.

Bah

Sun has been claiming they've got a Windows replacement since 95.

As for working with Office and Exchange, Microsoft has been more than happy to change file formats, exend and break xml and change networking protocols to keep people out of Office and Exchange, and with the DMCA they can sue you for trying to reverse engineer thier protocols.

Sun makes good hardware, but they just can't get there with the desktop software.

I've tried the Open Offices running on Java in the past, dog slow, besides with Linux you have to get past the absolutly craptasticly horrid the GUIs are.

But maybe they'll break out of the shell of crap they've been in when it comes to leveraging Java against MS.

Maybe

Ah, they'll charge by the seat by the year.

Same game as Novell and we've seen how well that works out.