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Technology Stocks : Oracle Corporation (ORCL) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: syborg who wrote (4485)	12/15/1997 12:52:00 PM
From: zc66	Respond to of 19080

The way NCs work (I think): Many NCs share one application server. All application programs are maintained on the application server, which could be a PC. When a NC runs an application, the program gets downloaded to the NC's memory. The NC's memory is big enough to run several applications. If you don't change applications frequently, there won't be too much network traffic. People have been using this concept for many years. Many companies keep their shared programs on network's file server. Users can start the programs from the server. They don't have to keep the programs on their PC's hard disk. If all the files are kept on the file server, the PC's hard disk is useless, and it's actually used as a NC. Correct me if I am wrong.

To: syborg who wrote (4485)	12/15/1997 2:17:00 PM
From: lml	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 19080

Syborg, Granted, no one individual can go out today & buy an NC for say, about $500. ORCL's commercials are aired to create consumer awareness of the NCA. The initial market for this product will be the corporate user & educational institutions, specifically local school districts where there is grant money & demand to provide computer technology to students via the most economical means. What's so amazing is your reaction to a logical response by another post pointing out the absurdity of your reference to purchase of an entire network. The beauty of the NC concept is in the numbers where economies of scale prevail, albeit at the cost complete independence of PC architecture. Bottom line: the NC will not compete head-to-head with the PC. It will find its own niche where a large numbers of clients need only connection to the network server to perform the tasks for which the client is provided to the user.

To: syborg who wrote (4485)	12/15/1997 2:47:00 PM
From: Sowbug	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 19080

<<Face facts... you do not go out and buy a $500 (or less) NC and it works. You must buy into a proprietary server configuration. >> Wait a minute... Why can't you have a Java-capable system that "rents" application time via the Internet? Like AOL, only you store your e-mail and term papers/resumes there, and instead of going into a chat room, you open up JavaWrite or JavaSheet or whatever. Larry Ellison talked all about this in Triumph of the Nerds.

To: syborg who wrote (4485)	12/15/1997 3:14:00 PM
From: danderso	Respond to of 19080

Sy, I disagree with your characterization of your understanding - I think you've misread what the company says. I don't quite trust that you are reading carefully and without bias - consider what it says about your understanding that you find it unusual for a network computer to attach to a server via a network. Further, on a point of fact, network computer servers are not limited to a proprietary o/s, as you claim. The package you named may include a particular Unix server, but that is a packaging issue, not an inherent restriction. I don't know the exact shipping status of other ports, but there are others. Please understand that my impression of you is reinforced by your choice of a handle that implies a preference for sybase and that your misunderstandings all point in one direction, the idea that Oracle is making foolish use of large amounts of its resources to no good end. My antagonism toward you stems from this appearance of bias. I also admit that my sarcastic and critical tone does not serve to elevate this conversation, so please accept my apologies. Please also help me understand that you are well informed and well intentioned. There are real disagreements about the network computing model, so perhaps it would be useful to focus on them. I believe there is another thread for this purpose. Dave ( should I try "Orclingon"?) -- These individual thoughts are not reviewed or endorsed etc., etc. <your ad here>

To: syborg who wrote (4485)	12/15/1997 3:49:00 PM
From: vinod Khurana	Respond to of 19080

Worry not about the NC. ORCL is as other firms are trying to do is build and sell a new technology that MAY become a hotcake some time in the future. If not, the investment will be written off. This should not be of concern short term (12 - 15 months). The stock price is reflecting poor sales going into the year BUT at the least, one could make the argument that ORCL is not sitting on their backsides. Imagine if they had done nothing and one day, NC takes of (I doubt it myself). The stock is slowly climbing back towards $26 - $27 at which time its back to the low $20's. Trade this stock and you will be happy and lets stop trying to predict where the NC is going. A JVM is what it should be deigned as. V.K