Mountain View, California-based Network Computing Devices Inc – to which IBM Corp passed its X terminal business (CI No 2,864) says it will look for other manufacturers to resell the Network Computers it is developing for IBM Corp (CI No 2,945), at the same time. It is confirmed that development will be based on work by the AS/400 division, although IBM is keen to drop the name AS/400 as the planned device will conform to the broad Network Computer Reference Profile standards and support all server systems – including non-IBM systems – and run Windows applications. IBM’s Personal Computer Co was dabbling in Network Computer design as well, but IBM is now uniting behind this single design. IBM is funding less than 50% of the development and both claim to be taking the lead in the development. Network Computing Devices says the terminal will be based on its $1,000 Explora machine, which serves as a Windows NT application server for Unix environments that supports protocols for X and the Internet and runs on a PowerPC 403 with 4Mb memory, according to our sister publication Online Reporter. But IBM has an incredible wish list of features to add on top of Explora, according to Rudy Morin, Network Computing’s executive vice-pre sident for operations and finance. The companies coined yet another Network Computer phrase to describe the computer, calling it a network application terminal. Network Computing was forced to reveal the deal last week under Securities & Exchange Commission rules, because its revenue could be substantially affected by the agreement.
