Network Computer

{{Original research|section|date=June 2011}}

The failure of the NC to impact on the scale predicted by Larry Ellison may have been caused by a number of factors. Firstly, prices of PCs quickly fell below $1000, making the competition very hard. Secondly, the software available for NCs was neither mature nor open.{{Cite book | author=Walters, E. Garrison | title=The essential guide to computing | year=2001 | publisher=Prentice Hall PTR | location=Upper Saddle River, NJ | isbn=0-13-019469-7 | page=[https://archive.org/details/essentialguideto00walt/page/13 13] | url=https://archive.org/details/essentialguideto00walt | url-access=registration | quote=information network desktop computer IT appliance 1970-2005. | access-date=2008-05-06 }}{{Failed verification|date=December 2008}}

Thirdly, the idea could simply have been ahead of its time, as at the NC's launch in 1996, the typical home Internet connection was only a 28.8 kbit/s modem dialup. This was simply insufficient for the delivery of executable content. The World Wide Web itself was not considered mainstream until its breakout year, 1998. Prior to this, very few Internet service providers advertised in mainstream press (at least outside of the US), and knowledge of the Internet was limited. This could have held back uptake of what would be seen as a very niche device with no (then) obvious appeal.

NCs ended up being used as the very 'dumb terminals' they were intended{{Citation needed|date=May 2008}} to replace, as the proprietary backend infrastructure is not readily available.{{Clarify|date=May 2008}} 1990s era NCs are often network-booted into a minimal Unix with X, to serve as X terminals. While NC purists may consider this to be a suboptimal use of NC hardware, the NCs work well as terminals, and are considerably cheaper than purpose-built terminal hardware.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}

{{details|Network Computer Reference Profile}}

The initial Network Computing standard, the Network Computer Reference Profile (NCRef), required that all 'NC' appliances supported HTML, Java, HTTP, JPEG, and other key standards.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}

Because many NCs did not use Intel CPUs or Microsoft software, Microsoft and Intel developed a competing standard called NetPC.[http://www.byte.com/art/9704/sec6/art1.htm Cheaper Computing, Part I] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070404210105/http://www.byte.com/art/9704/sec6/art1.htm |date=2007-04-04 }}, Byte magazine, April 1997 Other alternatives to the NCRef were WeBRef (Motorola and HDS Network Systems) and Odin (National Semiconductor).

{{cite web

| url = http://www.csstc.org/manuals_e-readiness/supplement/S_Chapter4.htm

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110302101133/http://www.csstc.org/manuals_e-readiness/supplement/S_Chapter4.htm

|archive-date=2011-03-02

|url-status=unfit

| title = Network Computer in The Future

| access-date = 2011-06-08

| last= Virano Gazi Nasution

|author2=Aprita Primayuda |author3=Aristo Lystiono |author4=Indarti Primora B Harahap |author5=Medwi Swasono

| publisher = Non-Aligned Movement

| quote = Here are four NC standards and reference platforms as specified by a certain vendor or group of vendors, in no particular order: The Network Computer Reference Profile (NCRef) by Oracle. The NetPC standard from Microsoft. WeBRef by Motorola and HDS Network Systems. National Semiconductor's Odin Reference Platform.}}

The HDS @workStation was stated to ship by the end of June 1996.{{cite web | url = http://news.cnet.com/First-NC-sales-slated-for-this-month/2100-1023_3-214114.html | title = First NC sales slated for this month | access-date = 2011-06-10 | last = Shelton | first = Denise | date = 1996-06-07 | publisher = CNET.com | quote = HDS Network Systems says it's set this month to become the first vendor out of the gate with a commercially available device based on Oracle's Network Computer Reference Profile. [...] the HDS @workStation [...]}}

Image:Acorn-Netstation.jpg

The Acorn Network Computer was Oracle's initial reference implementation of the NC. Its development was subcontracted to British company Acorn Computers,

{{cite web

| url = http://www.thefreelibrary.com/BRITAIN'S+ACORN+COMPUTER+GROUP+TO+OFFER+SUB+%24500+INTERNET+DEVICE-a018302768

| title = Britain's Acorn Computer Group to offer sub $500 internet device

| access-date = 2011-06-07

| date = 1996-05-20

| publisher = PR Newswire

| quote = [...] among the first to organize the manufacture and distribution of Network Computers [...] Products based on the reference designs, produced for Oracle by Acorn [...]}}

who adapted its own {{nowraplinks|RISC OS}} to create NCOS.

{{cite web

| url = http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Acorn+Group+Spurs+NC+Clone+Market+by+Giving+Away+NC+Hardware...-a019703042

| title = Acorn Group spurs NC clone market by giving away nc hardware production and reference designs

| access-date = 2011-06-07

| date = 1997-08-19

| publisher = PR Newswire

| quote = A scaled down version of RISC OS was licensed to Oracle to form its NCOS(TM). }}

Acorn made use of local partner companies ANT, Icon Technology and Design Edge to fulfil their contract.{{Cite conference

| first = Jonathan

| last = Sapsed

| title= Strategizing under Uncertainty and Ignorance: The influence of knowledge and technological path-dependence on corporate strategies

| conference= Managing Knowledge: Conversations and Critiques

| publisher = CENTRIM

| location= Brighton, UK

| page = 36

| date = 10 April 2001

| access-date = 15 March 2021

| url = https://core.ac.uk/reader/188247250

| quote = Acorn also made use of their local contacts in the fulfilment of the NC contract. Cambridge-based ANT developed the Web browser for the NC prototype when it was needed it in a hurry, and Icon technology similarly delivered a word processor. A local design company, Design Edge provided the prototype's casing in 48 hours. This was needed because Larry Ellison's preferred "radical" design was impractical to manufacture.

}}

In 1997 Apple announced the Mac NC, its attempt to develop the Pippin into a network computer platform. By the end of 1997, Steve Jobs discontinued all Macintosh clone efforts, effectively killing the Pippin, although key components of the Mac NC technology were inherited by the original iMac.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}

The first generation NetStation design and the NetStation trademark was licensed to NChannel, which provided the consumer equipment and Internet service (with associated infrastructure) for the UK market. After a few months, NChannel split into two entities: NetChannel (which provided the Internet service) and NetProducts which provided the consumer hardware.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}

NetProducts started working with Acorn to develop a next-generation product, NetStation II and started developing an email-only set-top-box (the TVemail). NetProducts went into voluntary liquidation in 1998 before either project was completed.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}

Sun Microsystems developed the JavaStation, a JavaOS-based NC based on SPARC hardware, initially similar to Sun's range of Unix workstations.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}

IBM launched its Network Station in September 1996.

{{cite news

| title = First Network Computer Announced By IBM

| date = 1996-09-06

| publisher = EE Times

| url = http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4146333/First-Network-Computer-Announced-By-IBM

| work = EE Times

| access-date = 2011-06-08

| quote = IBM announced its first network computer [...]}}

As with the later reference design, the Network Station used a NetBSD-based NCOS booted over a LAN from an AS/400 or IBM PC server. The Network Station supported local execution of basic applications, such as a web browser and console. In addition, X capability was also implemented to allow both locally and remotely run applications to be used on the same machine. In practice, the lack of real applications meant that this was little more than a hardware X terminal.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}

The IBM Network Station was originally based on the PowerPC architecture, but the final few models used Intel Pentium processors.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}

The idea behind the NC can be seen as existing in contemporary times in the system of cloud computing and in particular ChromeOS. In Wired magazine, Daniel Roth claims that the failure of the network computer eventually led to the development of cloud computing. A large contribution to this transition was attributed to Eric Schmidt, once the CTO of Sun Microsystems, a proponent of the network computer, who eventually became the CEO of Google. Google is a large purveyor of cloud technology, "most notably Google Docs and Spreadsheets".{{Cite magazine|last=Roth|first=Daniel|date=2009-12-21|title=Time Your Attack: Oracle's Lost Revolution|url=https://www.wired.com/magazine/2009/12/fail_oracle/all/1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100225102231/https://www.wired.com/magazine/2009/12/fail_oracle/all/1|archive-date=2010-02-25|access-date=2010-02-22|magazine=Wired}}

{{cmn|

• Diskless node
• Thin client
• Hybrid client
• Information appliance
• nCUBE
• Open Blueprint
• Sun Ray
• I-Opener

}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.faqs.org/faqs/network-computers/faq/ FAQ from the network computers Usenet newsgroup]
• Contemporary press coverage of early NC pre-announcements: https://archive.today/20130119192531/http://news.com.com/Oracle+down+to+brass+tacks+for+NC/2100-1001_3-243680.html

Category:Oracle hardware

Category:Classes of computers