Oracle Corp chief executive Larry Ellison disclosed more details to European users in Vienna late Tuesday of the range of Network Computer clients to be unveiled at the shipment date party set for April 16 in Japan, when Oracle will also take the wraps off its new Network Computer server operating system conceived to compete against Windows NT (CI No 3,136). Five Network Computers, manufactured by several consumer electronics companies, will start shipping at the Japan announcement at prices ranging from $300 to $800. The initial Network Computers will be powered either by the 233MHz StrongARM fabricated by Digital Equipment Corp or by a Pentium at either 133MHz or 200MHz. They will come with 16Mb memory, either an Ethernet board or 33.6Kbps modem, and a CD-ROM drive containing NC OS, the NC Desktop and Video User Interface, Netscape Communications Corp Navigator V3 or V4, JavaViews and Editor. The inclusion of a CD-ROM drive represents something of a climbdown for Ellison. Previously he had been adamant that Network Computers would need no disk – even a read-only one – as all software would be sucked down the wire from the server. The Network Computer server will be a standard personal computer costing $1,500 to $10,000 and will be targeted at small business, corporate departments and educational users. Servers to be delivered at the Japan event will have 64Mb memory, a 1Gb hard disk, Ethernet support, modem, and CD-ROM drive to hold all the server software. This will include its real-time Posix-compliant microkernel server operating system (CI No 3,136).
