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Larry Ellison's Next NC -- But Not Yet For You
An Anonymous Coward (and numerous others -- thanks) have written with news of
Larry Ellison's (not Oracle's) new venture. "$199 for Network PC (w/o
monitor).
Local storage in flash memory, operating system on CD only. (No HD). 64M
ram, 266Mhz Pentium-Class. Small Footprint." Added to which, cr@ckwhore added this link to
ZDNet coverage of the device and pointed out "
This thing costs $199, and has more power than the i-opener or that other websurfer thing ... get the tools back out ... this one is coming apart soon!!" The gimmick is that for now, no one can buy one for personal use (must wait till later in the year) -- but you can pay to contribute a NIC machine to a public school.
With the limited reliability of ISP connections, that is a severely dangerous dependancy.
What if...
If Oracle provides a set of "databased applications," where documents are "saved" based on pushing DB updates out to a networked database, where updates are pushed out ASAP, that may be one thing. (One thing that assumes applications that we don't know, with any certainty, exist.)
Supposing that scenario is true, and there is some persistent local storage where updates can be queued if the network connection goes down, that's a bit better still.
But unless there's a whole lot more to "Oracle Office Applications" than impressions suggest (the last I heard, Oracle Office was a somewhat lame mail client reminiscent of the email functions of Lotus Notes), the overall system would resultantly be LESS RELIABLE THAN MS-WINDOWS.
And the only way for it to be wonderfully reliable would be if there was a set of terribly proprietary Oracle Applications that would tie your documents quite forcibly to sitting at Oracle. A situation rather scarier than the present one of documents being held hostage to What Format Will Microsoft Make You Use Today?
I just don't see this working out. The reasoning not fully agreeing with yours, but the conclusions certainly being similar...
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
Cheaper to buy this beast...
10$ case
64$ 64 Megs Memory
20$ S3 4 Meg Video Card
15$ Low end sound card
24$ CD-ROM Drive
82$ Cheap Mb w/P233
50$ 56K modem
10$ 10/100 BaseT cheapo Network card
== 275$
These are the BARE BONES MINIMUM prices listed according to www.pricewatch.com today. Sorry, but you cannot buy a *new* 266 w 64 megs for less then 200.
-- I'm the root of all that's evil, but you can call me cookie..
"Brenda, where did you put that report?"
"Oh, gee - I dunno, the typewriter?"
Rather than "The report is in the file cabinet marked 1966, filed under reports, sub-filed May..." or whatever other system was in use.
One thing I wondered about the whole Y2K scenario (ya know, everything stops working), is that everyone was saying "We'll just use pencil and paper!" - except, if no one knows what a directory tree structure is or how it is used, how can they begin to figure out a file cabinet organization system (which is all directory trees really are - virtual file cabinets)?
What I find really amusing is the secretary (or other lamer) who can figure out a filing cabinet organizing system - but fails to understand a directory tree - it is like they sit in front of a computer, and go stupid!
Reason is the Path to God - Anon
Because a very small percentage of these children will ever need to know what a directory tree structure is or how to manage a large database. These computers are NETWORK computers. Think Internet.
The Internet is a useful medium for anyone, just as television, magazines, and radio. These aren't intended to make kids literate in MySQL, but to give them the opportunity to make use of the vast resources available on the web.
The day after this article was first posted, I'm surprised to see how many people were griping about it not having Ethernet or running some OS other than Linux... when it clearly states on the web page that it both has Ethernet and runs Linux?
:-)
Folks, this looks like what I've been wanting to see for a while now. These are the specs of the "C64 of the 90's" I've been wondering when someone will make, only it's a couple of years late.
Now, the specs you have to go a little deeper to read say "The NIC includes a 56K soft modem (PCTEL) onboard.". So basically it's a WinModem. Or rather, a LinModem. But the GPL virus means that they almost certainly have to release the source code to the driver along with the rest of the base operating system and utilities. They don't have to release the source to any custom applications they might have, but there don't seem to be any mentioned, just publically available software like Linux and Netscape.
But the important thing is that it has a USB port. You can add a real modem, and you can (probably) add a USB hard drive although the speed won't exactly rock. And it should work with any old cheap VGA monitor you can find at a swap meet, since it supports up to 1024x768x millions VESA modes with XFree 3.6.
For the home user who has never used a computer before, this can be a cheap way to get on the internet, do e-mail, and browse the web.
And for the power user, it does have 10/100 Ethernet, so this would make a nice home workstation so you could read Slashdot on the crapper with the addition of an LCD screen. I already have Ethernet wire strung through most of the house by running a 10B2 coax backbone on the floor around the outer walls, taping it down where there is no carpet, so I can just have it boot from one of my servers.
One more thing... this past weekend I figured out how to set up PPP dial-ins on my server (with TWO modem lines!), although the IP addresses are are on the wrong side of IP masquerading (because my fixed IP block comes in in bridged mode). But since most of the services that average users will use work fine behind IPMasq, they can leech off my DSL line in "mini-ISP" mode! Open source hot grits! Of course I have an understanding ISP (who has an "any server you want" policy), and will pre-educate the few friends I give passwords to to NOT spam anyone, because it's MY ass on the line if they do.
#naabhaprzrag, #sverubfr-000, #agi-fcbafberq, negvpyr[pynff*=' negvpyr-ary-'] { qvfcynl: abar !vzcbegnag; }
to an extent. Stuff as basic as file saving..and directory concepts should be known...but then again, if you can develop something that eliminates/simplifies it, that's even better. I disagree that people now a days need to learn more and more about computers. True, they need to learn basic programs like word processors and spreadsheets, etc etc...but it isn't like it once was...where computing was totally cryptic and was only avaliable for technowizzes. In the future it will prolly become even more simplified for the enduser...and rightfully so.
Lets use cars for example...A vast, vast, vast majority of Americans use/own cars. They use them frequently. Most of them have a general understanding of the functional components...ie: what the engine does, what the trans does, why you need to change your oil...etc, etc...basic stuff. Some wont even know that much. But most will....then there will always be two groups above the average...the mechanics who do it for a living, and the weekend mechanics...both have superior knowledge of the automobile...one gets paid..the other does it for a hobby...but the common user doesnt even need to know half what they do.
IMHO this will apply to computing...as it does everything else.
These computers can be useful, providing nice email access and such, but are they really that good in the long run? Is this where computers are heading? If not, why are we arranging for our children to learn on these things, and not on real computers, which will undoubtedly have more challenging interfaces, will be more capable, and will also be more complex. As a network administrator, I see users who cannot understand the simple (in my mind) concept of a directory tree structure. Shouldn't we be focusing on teaching our kids how to use actual computers? Unless, this is where computers are heading. I like to think not, however the current trend appears to be simplification of computers, rather than education of users. I think those two are both needed, but they should meet in the middle somewhere. Whatever. Random mumblings from a lunatic, take them as you will.
The more I think of this, the cooler it sounds. I hope he actually follows through on the idea of getting these into schools.
Schools don't (in theory) have the legacy needs of businesses. They can really use whatever works best, instead of having to conform to Microsoft formats. And if Johhny brings his homework back to school and it's in MS Word format and the school computers can't read it, well, that's just too bad. Sorry, Johnny. Save it in RTF or some open format next time. Make it a habit for life, Johnny.
Think about it: kids growing up using lil' Linux boxes... Most of what mainstream society considers to be "normal" is really just a matter of what they're used to either by random chance or clever maniacal plotting, rather than choice. That's why Windoze is considered "normal" these days. (How sad!) Change what people see every day, and you'll change what they are.
And look at the donation angle. This is a way for people like us to directly subvert Microsoft's strategy of using the education system to indoctrinate the next generation. Instead of having to work through the political system to convince the school board to buy a fleet of [pick your favorite non-Wintel platform], you can fight piecemeal, just a little bit at a time, by whipping out your credit card. No muss, no fuss. Hey, I'm a lazy slob and I don't know how to lobby. But I wouldn't hesitate a minute to drop $379 on the middle school a few blocks away. At least I'd know what I'm getting for my money, unlike the situation with taxes.
Of course, one terrifying possibility is that Microsoft would make a bootable Windows CD for these machines and then donate those to the schools. Hmm. Maybe Larry ought to put the OS on a ROM. Not that it would slow down a real hacker, but at least it would make bastardizing these things nontrivial.
Good job, Larry. Focus on the schools. In five to ten years, the business market will be ready too.
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