Sun's McNealy Wants to Break Windows

Updated from 2:11 p.m. EST

Military commanders and most corporate executives believe in striking where the enemy is weak. Not Scott McNealy, the combative CEO of struggling Sun Microsystems(SUNW Quote). On Monday, McNealy used the pulpit of Comdex, the PC world's premier trade show, to attack Microsoft (MSFT Quote) where it is strongest -- the desktop.

McNealy announced the Java Desktop System, a "major initiative" to lower the cost of computing by selling a combined operating system and office productivity suite for as little as $50 in the U.S. and even cheaper abroad. A comparable Windows package could run anywhere from $200 to $500 or more depending on license agreements.

"There's massive interest in an alternative to Microsoft," Jonathan Schwartz, executive vice president of Sun's software group, said during a meeting with reporters last week, during which McNealy's plans were outlined. That may be so, but there seems to be little agreement that the company's latest tilt at Microsoft's main franchise will be especially successful. ...