Google Web Toolkit released - rumors of Morfik alliance?

Google has just released its Ajax toolkit, called Google Web Toolkit:

"Google Web Toolkit (GWT) is a Java software development framework that makes writing AJAX applications like Google Maps and Gmail easy for developers who don't speak browser quirks as a second language. Writing dynamic web applications today is a tedious and error-prone process; you spend 90% of your time working around subtle incompatabilities between web browsers and platforms, and JavaScript's lack of modularity makes sharing, testing, and reusing AJAX components difficult and fragile.

GWT lets you avoid many of these headaches while offering your users the same dynamic, standards-compliant experience. You write your front end in the Java programming language, and the GWT compiler converts your Java classes to browser-compliant JavaScript and HTML."

Some developers are surprised it's Java-based. In the words of kiwi developer Phil Pearson: "it turns out to be a Java-to-Javascript translator. WTF?" Mike Crute is similarly unimpressed with this "weird open source offering" from Google, noting that "I would rather gnaw off my left leg than code in Java". Scott Yang comments: "Hmm. Less code. Yeah right…"

Also an interesting rumor is doing the rounds that Google may have partnered with Morfik for the Web Toolkit:

"Google has licensed Morfik's "JST" so it can release it as "GWT". Morfik has the first RAD IDE that can take high-level code written in Basic, C#, Java, and Object Pascal and turn it into AJAX apps. Google is building AJAX apps, and wants to build more, faster, and better. Why not?

Well, today, Google released it's "Google Web Toolkit". Coincidence? Oh PLEASE. To review:
1) Morfik calls it's Javascript Synthesis Technology parser/interpreter/javascript translater a "compiler". Google calls their tool a...compiler.
2) Morfik is the only Ajax tool that supports forward, back, reload buttons, bookmarking, and other state-transition technologies...but OUT OF THE BOX GWT supports all of these."

Thanks Peter Illes for the tip. I've asked the guys at Morfik for a comment on this - will update if I hear back. Note that I profiled Morfik recently.

There have been whispers that both Microsoft and Google have checked out Morfik in the past. Also see this Google Groups discussion, which throws around the notion that a Google WebOS may be in the works.

More on this as it develops...

Update, May 18: Bret Taylor, Product Manager of Google Web Toolkit, has dispelled the rumor:

"Morfik seems like great technology, but Google Web Toolkit is in no way associated with Morfik or based on its technology. There have been some rumors circulating on this list that have been causing some confusion, and I wanted to clarify.
Thanks,
Bret Taylor Product Manager, Google Web Toolkit"

Thanks stars1son for the update.