Network computer
Encyclopedia
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. The devices were designed with minimum specifications, based on the Network Computer Reference Profile
. The brand was also employed as a marketing
term to try to popularize this design of computer within enterprise and among consumers.
The term, today, is also used somewhat interchangeably to describe a diskless desktop computer
or a thin client
.
The NC brand was mainly intended to denote and forecast a range of desktop computers from various suppliers that, by virtue of their diskless design and use of inexpensive components and software, were cheaper and easier to manage than standard fat client
desktops
. However, due to the commoditization
of standard desktop components, and due to the increasing availability and popularity of various software options for using full desktops as diskless nodes, thin client
s, and hybrid clients, the Network Computer brand never achieved the popularity hoped for by Oracle and was eventually mothballed.
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.
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 provider
s advertised in mainstream press (at least outside of the USA), 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.
Ironically, NCs ended up being used as the very 'dumb terminals' they were intended to replace, as the proprietary
backend infrastructure is not readily available. 1990s era NCs are often network-booted into a minimal Unix with X, to serve as X terminal. 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.
(NCRef), required that all 'NC' appliances supported HTML
, Java
, HTTP, JPEG
, and other key standards.
or Microsoft
software
, Microsoft and Intel developed a competing standard called NetPC
. Other alternatives to the NCRef were WeBRef (Motorola
and HDS Network Systems) and Odin
(National Semiconductor
). The HDS @workStation was stated to ship by the end of June 1996.
was Oracle's initial reference implementation
of the NC. Its development was subcontracted to British company Acorn Computers
, who adapted its own to create NCOS
. Acorn made use of local partner companies ANT, Icon Technology and Design Edge to fulfil their contract.
.
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.
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.
developed the JavaStation
, a JavaOS
-based NC based on SPARC
hardware, initially similar to Sun's range of Unix workstation
s.
launched its Network Station in September 1996. 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
.
The IBM Network Station was originally based on the PowerPC
architecture, but the final few models used Intel Pentium processors.
and in particular Google Chrome OS
. 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."
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...
that was used, from approximately 1996 to 2000, to market a range of diskless desktop computer
Desktop computer
A desktop computer is a personal computer in a form intended for regular use at a single location, as opposed to a mobile laptop or portable computer. Early desktop computers are designed to lay flat on the desk, while modern towers stand upright...
devices. The devices were designed and manufactured by an alliance, which included Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
, IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, and others. The devices were designed with minimum specifications, based on 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:...
. The brand was also employed as a marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
term to try to popularize this design of computer within enterprise and among consumers.
The term, today, is also used somewhat interchangeably to describe a diskless desktop computer
Desktop computer
A desktop computer is a personal computer in a form intended for regular use at a single location, as opposed to a mobile laptop or portable computer. Early desktop computers are designed to lay flat on the desk, while modern towers stand upright...
or a thin client
Thin client
A thin client is a computer or a computer program which depends heavily on some other computer to fulfill its traditional computational roles. This stands in contrast to the traditional fat client, a computer designed to take on these roles by itself...
.
The NC brand was mainly intended to denote and forecast a range of desktop computers from various suppliers that, by virtue of their diskless design and use of inexpensive components and software, were cheaper and easier to manage than standard fat client
Fat client
A fat client is a computer in client–server architecture or networks that typically provides rich functionality independent of the central server...
desktops
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
. However, due to the commoditization
Commoditization
Commoditization is the process by which goods that have economic value and are distinguishable in terms of attributes end up becoming simple commodities in the eyes of the market or consumers. It is the movement of a market from differentiated to undifferentiated price competition and from...
of standard desktop components, and due to the increasing availability and popularity of various software options for using full desktops as diskless nodes, thin client
Thin client
A thin client is a computer or a computer program which depends heavily on some other computer to fulfill its traditional computational roles. This stands in contrast to the traditional fat client, a computer designed to take on these roles by itself...
s, and hybrid clients, the Network Computer brand never achieved the popularity hoped for by Oracle and was eventually mothballed.
History
The failure of the NC to impact on the scale predicted by Larry EllisonLarry Ellison
Lawrence Joseph "Larry" Ellison is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Oracle Corporation, one of the world's leading enterprise software companies. As of 2011, he is the third wealthiest American citizen, with an estimated worth of $33 billion.- Early life :Larry Ellison was born in the...
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.
Thirdly, the idea could simply have been ahead of its time, as at the NC's launch in 1996, the typical home Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
connection was only a 28.8 kbit/s modem dialup. This was simply insufficient for the delivery of executable
Executable
In computing, an executable file causes a computer "to perform indicated tasks according to encoded instructions," as opposed to a data file that must be parsed by a program to be meaningful. These instructions are traditionally machine code instructions for a physical CPU...
content. The world wide web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
itself was not considered mainstream until its breakout year, 1998. Prior to this, very few Internet service provider
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
s advertised in mainstream press (at least outside of the USA), 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.
Ironically, NCs ended up being used as the very 'dumb terminals' they were intended to replace, as the proprietary
Proprietary software
Proprietary software is computer software licensed under exclusive legal right of the copyright holder. The licensee is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, while restricted from other uses, such as modification, further distribution, or reverse engineering.Complementary...
backend infrastructure is not readily available. 1990s era NCs are often network-booted into a minimal Unix with X, to serve as X terminal. 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.
Reference Profile
The initial Network Computing standard, the Network Computer Reference ProfileNetwork 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:...
(NCRef), required that all 'NC' appliances supported HTML
HTML
HyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....
, Java
Java Virtual Machine
A Java virtual machine is a virtual machine capable of executing Java bytecode. It is the code execution component of the Java software platform. Sun Microsystems stated that there are over 4.5 billion JVM-enabled devices.-Overview:...
, HTTP, JPEG
JPEG
In computing, JPEG . The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and image quality. JPEG typically achieves 10:1 compression with little perceptible loss in image quality....
, and other key standards.
Other standards
Because many NCs did not use Intel CPUsCentral processing unit
The central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...
or Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
software
Computer software
Computer software, or just software, is a collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions for telling a computer what to do and how to do it....
, Microsoft and Intel developed a competing standard called NetPC
NetPC
NetPC is a standard for diskless PCs. It was a competitor to the Network computer standard, launched by Oracle Corporation in the mid-1990s....
. Other alternatives to the NCRef were WeBRef (Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
and HDS Network Systems) and Odin
Odin (software)
In computing, Odin is a project to run Microsoft Windows programs on OS/2 or convert them to OS/2 native format. It also provides the Odin32 API to compile Win32 programs for OS/2.The project's goals are:...
(National Semiconductor
National Semiconductor
National Semiconductor was an American semiconductor manufacturer, that specialized in analog devices and subsystems,formerly headquartered in Santa Clara, California, USA. The products of National Semiconductor included power management circuits, display drivers, audio and operational amplifiers,...
). The HDS @workStation was stated to ship by the end of June 1996.
NC extensions
This list may be incomplete.- Enterprise Network Computer Product Standard (January 1999)
- Mobile Network Computing Reference Specification - This document is a working draft, not a standard (March 1999)
Acorn Network Computer
The Acorn Network ComputerAcorn Network Computer
The Acorn Network Computer was a network computer designed and manufactured by Acorn Computers Ltd. It was the implementation of the Network Computer Reference Profile that Oracle Corporation commissioned Acorn to specify for network computers . Sophie Wilson of Acorn led the effort...
was Oracle's initial reference implementation
Reference implementation
In the software development process, a reference implementation is the standard from which all other implementations, with their attendant customizations, are measured, and to which all improvements are added...
of the NC. Its development was subcontracted to British company 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...
, who adapted its own to create NCOS
NCOS
NCOS was the graphical user interface-based operating system developed for use in Oracle's Network Computers. It was adapted by Acorn Computers from its own , which was originally developed for their range of Archimedes desktop computers...
. Acorn made use of local partner companies ANT, Icon Technology and Design Edge to fulfil their contract.
Macintosh NC
The Mac NC was ultimately never released, although key components of its technology were inherited by the original iMacIMac
The iMac is a range of all-in-one Macintosh desktop computers built by Apple. It has been the primary part of Apple's consumer desktop offerings since its introduction in 1998, and has evolved through five distinct forms....
.
NetProducts NetStation
The first generation NetStation design and the NetStation trademarkTrademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
was licensed to NChannel, which provided the consumer equipment and Internet service (with associated infrastructure) for the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
market. After a few months, NChannel split into two entities: NetChannel (which provided the Internet service) and NetProducts which provided the consumer hardware.
NetProducts started working with Acorn to develop a next-generation product, NetStation II and started developing an email
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
-only set-top-box (the TVemail). NetProducts went into voluntary liquidation
Liquidation
In law, liquidation is the process by which a company is brought to an end, and the assets and property of the company redistributed. Liquidation is also sometimes referred to as winding-up or dissolution, although dissolution technically refers to the last stage of liquidation...
in 1998 before either project was completed.
Sun Microsystems JavaStation
Sun MicrosystemsSun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
developed the JavaStation
JavaStation
The JavaStation was a Network Computer developed by Sun Microsystems between 1996 and 2000, intended to run only Java applications.The hardware is based on the design of the Sun SPARCstation series, a very successful line of UNIX workstations....
, a JavaOS
JavaOS
JavaOS is an operating system with a Java virtual machine as a fundamental component. It was jointly developed by Sun Microsystems and IBM. Unlike Windows, Mac OS, Unix or Unix-like systems which are primarily written in the C programming language, JavaOS is primarily written in Java.As of 2006,...
-based NC based on SPARC
SPARC
SPARC is a RISC instruction set architecture developed by Sun Microsystems and introduced in mid-1987....
hardware, initially similar to Sun's range of Unix workstation
Workstation
A workstation is a high-end microcomputer designed for technical or scientific applications. Intended primarily to be used by one person at a time, they are commonly connected to a local area network and run multi-user operating systems...
s.
IBM Network Station
IBMIBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
launched its Network Station in September 1996. 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
IBM PC
The IBM Personal Computer, commonly known as the IBM PC, is the original version and progenitor of the IBM PC compatible hardware platform. It is IBM model number 5150, and was introduced on August 12, 1981...
server. The Network Station supported local execution of basic applications, such as a web browser
Web browser
A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...
and console
Console
- Computing and video games :* System console, a physical device to operate a computer** Virtual console, a user interface for multiple computer consoles on one device** Command-line interface, the typical use of the computer 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
X terminal
In computing, an X terminal is a display/input terminal for X Window System client applications. X terminals enjoyed a period of popularity in the early 1990s when they offered a lower total cost of ownership alternative to a full Unix workstation....
.
The IBM Network Station was originally based on the PowerPC
PowerPC
PowerPC is a RISC architecture created by the 1991 Apple–IBM–Motorola alliance, known as AIM...
architecture, but the final few models used Intel Pentium processors.
Contemporary analogy
Some see the idea behind the NC as existing in contemporary times in the system of cloud computingCloud computing
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility over a network ....
and in particular Google Chrome OS
Google Chrome OS
Google Chrome OS is a Linux-based operating system designed by Google to work exclusively with web applications. Google announced the operating system on July 7, 2009 and made it an open source project, called Chromium OS, that November....
. 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
Chief technical officer
A chief technology officer is an executive-level position in a company or other entity whose occupant is focused on scientific and technological issues within an organization....
of Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
, a proponent of the network computer, who eventually became the CEO of Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
. Google is a large purveyor of cloud technology, "most notably Google Docs and Spreadsheets."
See also
- Diskless node
- Thin clientThin clientA thin client is a computer or a computer program which depends heavily on some other computer to fulfill its traditional computational roles. This stands in contrast to the traditional fat client, a computer designed to take on these roles by itself...
- Hybrid client
- Information applianceInformation applianceIn general terms, an information appliance or information device is any machine or device that is usable for the purposes of computing, telecommunicating, reproducing, and presenting encoded information in myriad forms and applications....
- nCUBENCUBEnCUBE was a series of parallel computing computers from the company of the same name. Early generations of the hardware used a custom microprocessor...
- Sun RaySun RayThe Sun Ray from Oracle is a stateless thin client solution aimed at corporate environments, originally introduced by Sun Microsystems in September 1999...
External links
- FAQ from the network computers Usenet newsgroup
- Contemporary press coverage of early NC pre-announcements: http://news.com.com/Oracle+down+to+brass+tacks+for+NC/2100-1001_3-243680.html