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Technology Stocks : MSFT Internet Explorer vs. NSCP Navigator -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: Harvey Allen who wrote (16119)1/15/1998 8:47:00 AM
From: Dermot Burke  Respond to of 24154
 
o: +TLindt (1951 )
From: +ahhaha
Wednesday, Jan 14 1998 11:43PM
the anonymous ahah makes an interesting proposition--wasn't the navio group set up to do the job? another distracted wrong choice: Reply # of 1956

This OS, CE, is embedded, therefore limited whereas there is no OS specifically
designed with managing the full breadth of cable internet access. CE has limited
interactive abilities because an internet presentation on tv is limited by a lack of physical
interface like keyboard or microphone. CE better not crash because you can't service
pack your way out. Thus, it's functionality must be severely constrained.

To some extent this is turning into a word game. It doesn't matter what kind of box
your peripherals are plugged into. You care only if they are all supported, else you
need two or more boxes. Seems redundant. If you need local storage or other
functionality, then the tv should be split off from the entry cable to its own settop box
and the other lead goes to your computer backplane. Neither the CE nor WIN can
take advantage of the full power of delivery of cable. Maybe in the household that
power isn't needed.

NSCP claims it's an enterprise company selling e-commerce, internet-based enterprise
tools, servers, and software. Who do they think they are kidding with that set of
Emperor's New Clothes? They couldn't find a way to beat MSFT, so they think they
can beat equally capable opponents deeply in with the establishment by selling tools,
servers. and software? But NSCP can develop an OS maybe in conjunction with
SUNW with business as the intended market. Such an OS would need mission
criticality and high complexity software caching management. The browser could be
the interfacing "desktop". That's the only way the enterprise clothes will fit.

Because WIN9x, NT, CE, are market specific and none are designed with cable
specific strengths and requirements, there is a window of opportunity for an
enterprising company to develop a cable specific OS with need to interface, not
necessarily manage, local storage. But it wouldn't need lots of peripheral driver
support. All of that already exists in the installed base of PCs which can be lanned into
a local cable OS server which supports say 10 PCs. A cable OS and its local cache
management can take the pressure off the headend and RDC.
A business would use this "terminal" as a dedicated and secure gateway to the
commerce and telecommunicative world, but it also would have limited accessability
from nearby desktops each with some limited browser to facilitate high speed
exchange. The details need lots of work and that isn't my job, but NSCP needs to take
advantage of this open window, or bye-bye.