You just described the PC with software available today.
Except, of course, that neither the PC nor the NC camps have found a way to reach the $200 price point -- which a lot of follks believe to be a "magic number" for very high penetration.
One paradox in your post: that NC's could run anything on the net and that there are servers that NC's use to run faster than PC's. The former statement probably is never going to happen -- there will always be specialized server systems that run something that you don't have on your desk -- which is what your second point seems to confirm. However, on your second point, it's hard to imagine a situation in which a communication protocol is defined that PC's can't run that the currently defined NC can run -- and with that communication protocol the PC and NC seem in a dead heat in their ability to use a server.
I don't believe that the PC or the NC will be the "FUTURE" in a future which entails 90% market penetration. Both miss the boat. Want to see something with a better chance? As I've said in a recent post, look to WebTV or the Sony PlayStation -- both fit the bill of what the NC was supposed to be (and isn't) before the reality hit the NC camp.
Mark
Reference: you wrote:
Imagine a network computer (NC) that attaches to hundreds, or perhaps thousands of servers (intranet, internet, whatever). This NC would not care what brand the server was (macintosh, intel, Hewlett Packard, etc.), what operating system it was running, or where it was located. This NC would have the power to run anything out on that net (intra or inter). Additionally, the user of this NC could access his/her data from any other NC at any time (with the proper permissions of course).
This NC may run even faster than an affordable PC, because these extremely powerful servers process the data, and all the NC has to do is update the graphics. This NC would be affordable to the masses, and would replace a standard fixture in the household (be it a television, or a telephone), and would not require any intervention on the part of the user for upgrades or support. This is the FUTURE. NC's will BE the future. It's only a matter of time. |
