Sun's Scott McNealy should go, Meta says

But Sun has hit back against the Meta Group, suggesting it produced its reports on a cash basis, rather than producing the sort of objective analysis everyone expects from, er... objective analysts.

That's according to a report on Forbes today, which said that Sun was spitting blood at the report, and Meta had suggested that the firm bore similarities to Digital Equipment Corporation, a big tin firm of the past.

And, according to Forbes, commodity software is eroding any lead Sun Microsystems had, suggesting that McNealy's firm has a weak software strategy and hasn't come to grip with the situation.

Quoting the report, Lisa DiCarlo said Sun had to move away from SPARC and Solaris and concentrate on Intel, Linux and web services.

The Meta Group apparently said the only thing that could save Sun from being DECced was a "near death experience and a CEO from the outside".

But Sun said Meta wasn't being even remotely accurate or fair.

Which, of course, Sun always is. It quoted a representative as saying Sun never spent a lot of money with Meta and that's a factor, quoting A. Lark as saying "We wouldn't go so far as to suggest a tangible link between spending and the report". Sheesh! Lark further speculated that Meta was just being controversial to make a name for itself.

You can read the Forbes article here, but beware the advisory notice (captured below). µ

Cher Price writes: "Despite the Forbesian piece, SUNW soared on Wall Street today by 9.62%. What's the story there, I wonder?"