Oracle Corp may try to give the impression that it is only Microsoft Corp that failed instantly to spot the extent of the revolution represented by the Internet, but its Personal Oracle Lite pocket object-relational database only now has the features it needs to play a leading role in a Network Computing-centric world – and the thing is up to release 2.3. The new release adds bi-directional replication to enhance the thin-client database’s integration with corporate workgroup and enterprise databases. But it still fits the Network Computer model in requiring less than 1Mb of memory and less than 5Mb of disk space, making it feasible for use on a Network Computer with one of the new 120Mb floppy drives. Two-way replication means mobile workers get access to the most current corporate information to perform their jobs – but while it runs under Windows 3.1 and up, and under Mac OS, it’s not actually ready for NC/OS or Personal Digital Assistants yet. Personal Oracle Lite is $200 per user and is available at http://www.oracle.com/.
