Caught in the crossfire: Microsoft delays mean developers pay price for Java suit.(Company Business and Marketing)

Confusion in the Windows developers' community continues to mount as Microsoft ponders its next Java moves -- both in court and in its own product plans.

The most recent by-product of this confusion emerged last week, when several members of Microsoft Developers Network (MSDN) said they had not received all of the Java-related software they were promised when they signed up for MSDN.

Microsoft's efforts to bring its products into compliance with Sun Microsystems' Java implementation following a court order is creating a series of cascading delays across a range of products. For example, although Microsoft recently released a new version of its Java virtual …