Zenith Electronics Corp duly launched two interactive television sets featuring the NetVision Internet-access technology it picked up from network appliance software start-up Diba Inc. The sets are a 27 Zenith brand model and a 35 ‘entertainment machine’ under Zenith’s new high-end Inteq brand. Diba’s Interactive Digital Electronic Appliances software runs on a processor that uses an Advanced RISC Machines Ltd ARM core designed by Cirrus Logic Inc, and give NetVision the capability to support services including browsing the World Wide Web, accessing electronic mail and running future Java terminal applications. The smaller set comes with Zenith’s Z-Trak trackball infra-red remote control and there is also an optional wireless keyboard. It has built-in a 28.8Kbps telephone modem and is expected to sell for $1,000 this autumn. The Inteq NetVision includes Intraq trackball remote control, can take the optional wireless keyboard, and has 28.8Mbps modem and Ethernet port for cable modem, and is $3,500.
