http://www.oracle.com/headlines/html/ncwp.html (PC Press Internet CD, 03/1996)
January 23, 1996
The Network Computer(TM)
Underlying these low-cost end-user devices will be new distributed
network server environments that support rich data types and rich
objects - a smart, fast network that provides intelligent ways
of storing data and methods of accessing those various data programmatically.
In the early 1980s, the introduction of the Apple Macintosh
revolutionized computing by providing both a simple graphical
user interface (GUI) and relatively inexpensive hardware that
could run a versatile array of software applications. The introduction
of the user-friendly GUI fueled the development of popular client
applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, drawing programs,
graphical authoring tools, etc.
Today, the PC has essentially replaced the dumb terminal. But
today's mainframes -usually a mix of proprietary platforms and
open 'servers' - have an increased presence, because there are
still classes of problems that require more computing power than
the desktop can supply. In addition, there are large classes of
data that are best maintained in a central repository, due to
requirements for sharing and protecting that information. The
implication of this growing number of servers is significant.
Corporations are maintaining an increasing number of servers while
placing a PC on virtually every desk.
The initial investment costs for a standard PC have remained
stable at around $3,000 USD, limiting the market to corporations,
well funded organizations and wealthy households. While the modern
PC typically supports an array of sophisticated functions, most
PCs are still used primarily within three functional categories:
All of these tasks can easily be performed by a low-cost network
computer.
The NC consists of a RISC CPU, a few megabytes of memory, a
network interface, an I/O interface and a way to boot from the
network; it plugs into a power source and a source of bits (the
network). The NC presents an individual's personal home page,
from which the user can browse the Internet, send e-mail, or compose
documents which can be saved both securely and privately back
on the server. Inherent to the basic device is the ability to
receive and send audio, and video, subject to the availability
of appropriate bandwidth.
Today the computer industry stands on the threshold of the
most significant paradigm shift since the personal computer (PC),
which less than a decade ago brought unprecedented flexibility
and computing power to business professionals and home users alike.
Oracle's vision for the future is an age of computing that fully
exploits the potential of high-speed networks, with end-user devices
priced low enough to interest virtually any individual user. This
vision is already taking shape and nearing practical reality.
The Network Computer(TM) (NC) is a low-cost device that supports
a rich graphical environment and download all their software from
servers over a network.
Computing models throughout the 1970s and early 1980s were
based on the notion of timesharing: many character-mode terminals
sharing access to a powerful, expensive mainframe computer. These
"dumb" terminals simply collected and displayed characters
entered from a keyboard and sent them to the mainframe. The primary
users of those systems were scientists and other highly trained
professionals whose need for high-speed computation outweighed
the difficulties they faced using the systems.
Most corporate PC users today use their machines primarily
to write documents, read and send electronic mail (e-mail), and
fill out forms. Considering 1) the high initial investment and
cost of maintaining these computers, and 2) the limited number
of programs corporate users actually run, leads to an interesting
conclusion: There exists a market for a very low-cost device (under
$500 USD) with sufficient GUI support to run the applications
most used by corporate workers, and which requires no maintenance
support.
As market-leading operating systems and desktop productivity
applications become increasingly large and complex, hardware vendors
are being forced to deliver ever more powerful and expensive desktop
components. The average configuration required to run this everyday
software has risen continuously during this decade.
Corporations spend considerable sums every year on PC maintenance
- almost as much as they spend on servers - in terms of administrative
costs such as installation, system configuration, backups, software
upgrades and crash recovery. Industry analysts estimate the cost
of maintaining a single PC in a corporate environment at about
$8,000 USD annually.
The term network computer (NC) describes very low-cost devices
supporting a rich GUI environment in which all software will be
downloaded from servers over a network, thus requiring no software
support by the user. The NC is not a dumb terminal; rather it
is conceived as a compact device for manipulating video, audio
and graphical images in addition to text and structured data.
The low cost of these devices allows them to be applied in
a number of ways. NCs are specialized devices that will perform
somewhat specific ranges of tasks. Some will be primarily for
communication, some for information browsing, and still others
for entertainment. A typical set of NC devices might include the
following:
Easy to Use, Inexpensive to Maintain
In order to simplify the development task, Oracle's Universal
Database technology supports the creation of HTML objects, JAVA
objects, video sequences - a wide range of information, in an
environment far more dynamic than the static world of the current
WWW. Application developers can create presentations tailored
to specific devices-e.g. screen sizes-and different user profiles.
For instance, a PDA user cruising the WWW might receive just keywords,
while a user who has a large monitor could receive the richest
possible presentation. Both information and the formatting of
information are scalable to the needs of individual users.
To further expedite the implementation of NCs, Oracle has defined
objects for interactive television on the WWW, including electronic
commerce, user management and other administrative functions.
Oracle is also supplying interfaces that can be called by JAVA,
C or other programs. All of these data will be stored in an Oracle
Universal Database, providing a rich distributed object environment
for building both client and server applications. A specific user
definition, for instance, can be instantiated from a set of rows
and tables in an Oracle Universal Database, preserving a persistent
image of the user's preferences, user ID, password, and other
user-unique information.
Databases on the network will store the persistent data, making
needed objects accessible to user applications. Effective communication
between the network and the NCs will be built on a combination
of relocatable distributed objects, Oracle Object Request Broker
technology for sending messages back and forth, and an Oracle
Universal Database to store all the data. The Market for the NC
NCs are naturally suited for corporate use since they provide
the functionality of a PC at much lower costs of both acquisition
and maintenance/support. Two other important markets - schools
and consumers - will also benefit from these low cost, easy-to-use
devices.
In practical terms, the NC will replace the PC desktop with
a dynamic browser when the device is turned on and the user is
identified. A custom home page will appear with information and
communications for that user. There will be access to messaging
(e-mail, video mail, etc.), WWW, games and agent-based information
(personal stock ticker, personal news, etc.), all from an interface
much easier to use than the current generation of web browsers.
As a user, you will find that your home page follows you wherever
you go - and is accessible from every device you use - since all
the information is stored on the server.
Today, Oracle is working with other industry leaders to create
and support the standards that will form the foundation of the
NC network. These include World Wide Web standards such as HTML
and HTTP, emerging standards such as JAVA, access standards such
as SQL and CORBA, and video/audio standards such as MPEG2.
Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation. NC,
Oracle Universal Database, and Network Computer are trademarks
of Oracle Corporation. All other product and company names are
trademarks of their respective owners.
Q: What operating system will the NC run?
Q: What if I want local storage and a big screen?
Q: What about privacy and security?
Q: Who will build these devices?<
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NCs will be as easy to install and inexpensive to maintain
as telephones. Changes to software applications, including bug
fixes and upgrades, will be made on the server. For the users,
such changes will simply (and totally transparently) take effect
the next time the device is activated.
To facilitate the creation and deployment of NC devices, Oracle
has been developing a universal database which delivers relational
object and multimedia support together with powerful and versatile
indexing capabilities. This universal database software also allows
companies to recast their existing data into new NC paradigms.
In short, the universal database will enable repositories that
store a broad array of distributed objects that will be accessible
to NCs.
Given the current bandwidth limitations of the World Wide Web
(WWW), the primary initial market for the NC will be corporations
and other large organizations with powerful MIS infrastructures.
Here, instead of using the WWW as the transport mechanism, large
numbers of NCs will be integrated into the corporate Web or an
existing LAN. The NC will suffice for most users, whose computing
tasks are limited to e-mail, word processing and Web access. And
the NC will peacefully coexist on the same networks with the conventional
PCs required by power users.
The NC provides an economically viable solution to the dream
of placing a computer on every student's desk. Imagine the educational
system if every student had an NC supported by a vast server network.
Students and teachers having access to up-to-date information
from news servers, the Web, other schools, etc. students having
online access to other students. Textbooks and other sources being
researched online. Teachers and parents communicating via e-mail.
The possibilities are extraordinary and most exciting.
Of the estimated 100 million households in the U.S., perhaps
30 million have a PC today, most of which are not high-powered
multimedia machines. For the average consumer, telecommuter or
home student, a device as easy to buy and set up as a telephone,
and providing simple access to a multitude of services, offers
an extremely attractive option.
While the market is in need of cheap and powerful computing
solutions, no one wants to have to invest in and learn yet another
operating system and GUI. A new computing device relying on a
new operating system would face formidable obstacles to success
in the marketplace. However, with the NC, the idea of a standardized
operating system shifts from the PC desktop to a virtual Internet
desktop, a higher-level operating environment based on the World
Wide Web.
Oracle is the second largest software company in the world
and the largest provider of information management software. Its
corporate mission is to provide end-to-end solutions: access to
any data, stored on any server, from any device, over any network.
Oracle provides the scalable, flexible, reliable and open software
infrastructure necessary to build the worldwide server complex
that will drive the NC. Openness is key to the success of the
NC.
Q: Can we really build an NC that will sell for $500?
A: This isn't really much of stretch. Consider video game machines
such as the Sony PlayStation. These are capable computers with
a CD-ROM drive that sell for less than $500. The key is a low-cost,
highly integrated CPU that can drive as much of the functionality
as possible. These exist today. One way to cut costs is to build
a device that does not have a lot of flexibility from a hardware
standpoint. In the consumer world, you don't upgrade your VCR
or phone; you buy a new one every so often as more functionality
becomes available.
A: It doesn't matter! The local OS will be reloaded, transparently
to the user, every time the NC is booted. The end user will be
dealing with a new interface, a dynamic browser that will replace
today's PC desktop. When the NC is turned on and the user is identified,
a custom home page will appear with information and communications
for that user. There will be access to messaging (e-mail, Video
Mail, etc.), WWW, games, agent-based information (personal stock
ticker, personal news, etc.). And all from an interface that is
easier to use than the current generation of web browsers. Your
home page will follow you where ever you go, since all the information
is stored on the server.
A: No problem. The idea is to offer a $500 device, not limit
the world to $500 devices. Bigger screens and local persistence
to store images and documents will all be available to those who
wish to pay a bit more. The NC makes it simple to own a computer
because the software is all maintained and downloaded from the
network servers.
A: The NC will offer user authentication, encrypted messaging
and tamper-proof messaging based on RSA, RC4, and DES algorithms.
Information stored on the server will be protected via encryption
where only the user knows the keys. The NC will run JAVA, so that
applications won't crash. There is no need to worry about viruses,
since the local OS is reloaded every time the NC is booted.
A: Oracle is creating a reference design and building the software
platform for network computing. The companies that will manufacture
the devices include consumer electronics companies, PC manufacturers
and set-top box manufacturers. Oracle's software platform will
be designed to interoperate with all NCs on the network.
