NCOS
Encyclopedia
NCOS was the graphical user interface
Graphical user interface
In computing, a graphical user interface is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices with images rather than text commands. GUIs can be used in computers, hand-held devices such as MP3 players, portable media players or gaming devices, household appliances and...

-based operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...

 developed for use in Oracle
Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation that specializes in developing and marketing hardware systems and enterprise software products – particularly database management systems...

's Network Computer
Network computer
Network Computer is a trademark of Oracle Corporation that was used, from approximately 1996 to 2000, to market a range of diskless desktop computer devices. The devices were designed and manufactured by an alliance, which included Sun Microsystems, IBM, and others...

s. It was adapted by Acorn Computers
Acorn Computers
Acorn Computers Ltd. was a British computer company established in Cambridge, England, in 1978. The company produced a number of computers which were especially popular in the UK. These included the Acorn Electron, the BBC Micro, and the Acorn Archimedes...

 from its own , which was originally developed for their range of Archimedes
Acorn Archimedes
The Acorn Archimedes was Acorn Computers Ltd's first general purpose home computer to be based on their own ARM architecture.Using a RISC design with a 32-bit CPU, at its launch in June 1987, the Archimedes was stated as running at 4 MIPS, with a claim of 18 MIPS during tests.The name is commonly...

 desktop computers. It shares with the same 4MB ROM
Read-only memory
Read-only memory is a class of storage medium used in computers and other electronic devices. Data stored in ROM cannot be modified, or can be modified only slowly or with difficulty, so it is mainly used to distribute firmware .In its strictest sense, ROM refers only...

 size and suitability for use with TV displays.

Pace purchased the rights to use and develop NCOS from the STB
Set-top box
A set-top box or set-top unit is an information appliance device that generally contains a tuner and connects to a television set and an external source of signal, turning the signal into content which is then displayed on the television screen or other display device.-History:Before the...

 division of Acorn Computers (by then named ). RISCOS Ltd
RISCOS Ltd
RISCOS Ltd. is a limited company engaged in computer software and IT consulting. It licensed the rights to from Element 14 and subsequently Pace Micro Technology. It continues to develop...

 later announced Embedded RISC OS, which was to have similarities with NCOS.

Development

NCOS originated in connection with the Network Computer project. It was used on various STB products. It branched from RISC OS 3.60 and was called RISC OS 3.61 before being named after Network Computer Operating System. It was merged back into the HEAD whilst at Pace, where it was known as and RO-STB.

Features

NCOS was designed in accordance with the Network Computer Reference Profile
Network Computer Reference Profile
Network Computer Reference Profile was a specification for a network computer put forward by Oracle Corporation, endorsed by Sun Microsystems, IBM, Apple Computer, and Netscape, and finalized in 1996.-NC1:...

 and therefore supports internet standard
Internet standard
In computer network engineering, an Internet Standard is a normative specification of a technology or methodology applicable to the Internet. Internet Standards are created and published by the Internet Engineering Task Force .-Overview:...

s of the time. Being closely based on , it is also capable of running a proportion of its applications.
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