Sun's been having a hard time recently and the reasons simple. They may have good ideas (this being one), but are way too late delivering them. The real world has to continue whilst they're messing around and that rather leaves them behind. They should try and release things in smaller chunks, but get them out quicker.

You'd rather Sun was like Microsoft and used paying customers to provide the alpha testing?

Having been working with Sun technology offerings since the 80s I have seen them experience their peaks and their troughs. One thing that has remained consistent though is the fact that they are true innovators in the market and I don't think many other come close on that front. This is something which I feel the analyst-led market has great underplayed in recent years.

However (and this is the point above I think) they seem unable to turn great technologies and intellectual property into deliverable propositions. Perhaps their Highground acquisition showed this more than their Terraspring acquisition did - and certainly their N1 saga has done them more harm than good (at one point they had potential to lead the blade market but soon showed up as 'also finished' players, if that).

I really hope they managed to pull themselves out of this particular trough, and they do seem to be doing so, as I think they can make a unique and significant difference in the market.

You're right that Sun virtualizes Servers, Storage and Networks, but it also does Desktop Virtualization too.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/11/sun_solaris_upgrade_linux_support/