The much ballyhoo’d model of network computing touted by the likes of IBM, Oracle and Sun Microsystems is taking longer to become a reality than its supporters had hoped. First because vendors have been slower to deliver the NC network computer hardware and server software than they had originally promised, and second because corporations aren’t implementing NC strategies as fast as had been expected. No big surprise there given the usual workings of the IT industry, but that also follows publication of research suggesting NCs are 25% to 40% cheaper to maintain than PCs. However IBM is one of the few companies with a real Network Computer story to tell, because it has been shipping them in volume since March. Bob Dies, general manager of IBM’s network computer division says the Series 100 and 300 Network Stations built for it by Network Computing Devices Inc are being used at 2,300 pilot sites. Half have replaced fixed-function ‘green screen’ terminals, and half have replaced PCs. He said the company saw no demand from users for diskless NetPCs. Dies expects IBM to ship tens of thousands of NCs over the next year, including a new high-end model Series 1000 which, using a PowerPC 603 microprocessor, is the company’s most powerful NC to date. IBM, which characterizes the model 100 as an application access device and the 300 as an internet devices, describes the 1000 as a Java network computer designed specifically to run Java applications, including the eSuite of workgroup applications recently announced by its Lotus Development subsidiary. IBM’s Java developers have been creating a Java Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler for use on the 1000 to speed Java application performance. It’s supposed to accommodate up to 32Mb RAM. The 12 eSuite applications include a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation graphics, email client, terminal emulators, a calendar, a browser and other applications. They range in size from 500Kb to 700Kb and were reportedly designed according to the 80/20 rule of software, namely that 80% of users utilize only 20% of the functionality. The PowerPC 603-Series 1000 ships in ten days time and will be shown at Comdex next week (CI No 3,210).
JavaOS six months out
Dies says IBM is still helping Sun Microsystems Inc develop the JavaOS operating system which it will use on future NCs and resell through its IBM Microelectronics division. Dies says JavaOS is complete enough for developers to work with but is too immature to be marketed generally. Dies thinks it’ll be at least six months before JavaOS is robust and stable enough to be sold to customers on a general basis. Dies says IBM has replaced the PCMCIA capability of its NCs – which users told it they didn’t want – with smart card capability. As well as adding more powerful audio and visual tools – full motion video will be an option – Dies says the company’s currently evaluating mobile NCs and devices for use in the home. IBM, which is rolling out NCs internally, says it gave the first models to its research divisions, confident they’d be the first to find fault with the product’s functionality. Dies expects ISVs to adopt usage-based pricing models as NCs and similar devices to not store applications locally, rather users download applications from a server for use as it is required.
