To ALL: interesting article... NC computer, dying on the vine.
Buyer's Remorse for Network Computer Buyers?
Jesse Berst, Editorial Director
ZDNet AnchorDesk
Monday, January 20, 1997
It's a marriage-counseling clich‚ that people repeat their mistakes. They abandon their spouse for the arms of another-where they repeat the patterns that got them into trouble in the first place.
The early adopters of Network Computers (NCs) must have that sinking feeling about now. They've changed partners, but they're stuck with the same old problems.
The NC was supposed to solve the difficulties associated with the personal computer (PC). It was promoted as a cheaper-to-buy, cheaper-to-maintain, more flexible alternative. Use this small, lightweight device on desktops, went the sales pitch. It has just enough power to run applications from a central server. When it's time to upgrade and enhance, you just update the server once, saving the cost and trouble of individually updating all the desktop PCs.
But that's not how it's working out in real life, according to reports in the UK-based news weekly The Economist, and elsewhere. Here's what is really going on:
The initial cost of NCs is higher than promised. "Under $500" was the promise. "About $1000" is the reality. The first NCs cost about as much as a low-end PC.
The maintenance cost of NCs is higher than promised. With the PC model, you spend a lot on the clients (the desktop machines). With the NC model, you spend a lot on the servers and the network infrastructure. Either way, you spend a lot. As The Economist puts it, "...network computers may often cost a company almost as much as... PCs. Add the cost of switching, and they may cost even more..."
The compatibility of NCs is less than promised. The first NCs lock users into proprietary systems. Sun's JavaStation, for instance, requires a Sun Netra server to boot up. (Once up, it can browse any TCP/IP-compliant server.) What happened to the dream of mixing and matching clients and servers from any vendor?
The lesson is obvious. Don't let NC vendors romance you into making a commitment you won't want to keep. Before you get married to the NC idea, be sure to examine it in the cold, hard light of day.
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Looks like Mr. Ellison's idea to break up Wintel may be in jeapordy.
Tough break for Intel investor's. <gg>
Regards, Michael |
