Network computers have few moving parts and are very inexpensive to manufacture and maintain. Some models do not even need a fan. Prices for the first generation NCs are between $300 and $1000.
An even greater advantage for companies and schools are the very low annual cost of ownership of NCs. The estimated annual cost of a desktop PC including hardware maintenance and software administration is $10,000 to $12,500. In contrast, the annual cost of a NC is estimated to be $2,500. For a company with thousands of PC's, migration to NCs could save them millions of dollars. The hardware would be almost maintenance free and software updates for hundreds of NCs could be accomplished by one change on the server.
A number of companies have rallied around the concept of network computers, and developed a reference standard. This standard would make the the term NC similar to PC, in that one implies "NC" compatible and the other implies "PC" compatible.
The NC Reference Profile, developed by Apple, IBM, Netscape, Oracle, and Sun, defines what features are required to allow a computer to be designated a Network Computer or "NC."
The NC Reference Profile requires:
Several companies are working on Java applets. Corel has been demonstrating a Java version of its WordPerfect office suite; Applix and Oracle also have office suite Java applets for Network Computers.
Some skeptics question the logic of loading applications and data across a network when network bandwidth is already a limiting factor. My response to these skeptics is: a large number of institutions already launch large applications and data from servers across their network. The only difference between what they do now and what they could do with NCs, is that instead of launching a multi-megabyte Microsoft Office suite from a server, they are launching a 600 kilobyte Java applet suite. NCs are not necessarily a problem for an institution's network; in many cases they make better use of a network than many organizations already do.
This is not to say that Java is ideal. Java is new, and not as robust and fully featured as other languages. Better development tools are needed. However, Java is improving an incredible pace, and most of these problems will be fixed by the time Network Computers become widely used.
Network Computers would be a threat to Microsoft's current domination of the computer industry, and initially, Microsoft dismissed them as a bad idea that would never catch on. However, in the last few months, after it became apparent that the idea of Network Computers was being well received by businesses, Microsoft changed its tune. It has adopted a new strategy which involved the development of a competing standard called the "NetPC." The NetPC is a slimmed down version of an Windows Pentium machine that would have lower maintenance costs than current systems. The NetPC would still run some version of Windows, but it would boot and run software from a WindowsNT server. NetPC would have fewer moving parts than a traditional PC and not require a hard drive. Unlike the NC, the NetPC would not be processor-independent and would still tie you into using Microsoft's Office solutions.
In Summary:
The Network Computer has the potential to revolutionize computing, and even its
detractors are taking it seriously. NCs will certainly have an impact in
specific industries that use a large number of computers for relatively light
tasks, but it is unclear if they will dominate the desktop computer industry.
Articles and Reviews:
InfoWorld [10.21.96]: Compaq thins down PC leader to launch NC products
Press Releases:
Apple's Press Release on the NC agreement
NC SoftwareL
Applix Anyware Office
Oracle NC System Software Suite