Concerning the Much-Talked-About Network Computer

 ----**----**----**----**----**----**----**----**----**----**----**----**----

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers
Path: utkcs2!stc06.ctd.ornl.gov!news.he.net!newsfeed.nacamar.de
      !news-xfer.cybernet.dk!news.maxwell.syr.edu!news-peer.sprintlink.net
      !news.sprintlink.net!sprint!howland.erols.net!spring.edu.tw
      !feeder.seed.net.tw!reader.seed.net.tw!news
Organization: SEEDNET InterNetNews News System
Message-ID: <33550FA4.11F5@ksts.seed.net.tw>
NNTP-Posting-Host: 139.175.26.4
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 10:43:00 -0700
From: "Arthur N. Borg" <anborg@ksts.seed.net.tw>
Subject: Web PC?

Hello,

The news is filled with facts and fancy about a thing called "The Web
PC". As I understand it this is a PC with no local HD or other
permanent storage. The programs will all download from a central
server which will have all the applications and will provide them as
required. The output will then be downloaded to the central server.

Fifteen or more years ago, one of our customers was "Datapoint". You
may remember that Datapoint was the company that asked Intel to design
the 8008 for their use in a VDT. Datapoint had a proprietary system
that used a central computer and each worker who needed to use the
computer had a terminal or work station at his/her desk and if they
wanted to do word processing, they downloaded the word processor,
typed the document and then sent it to the department printer for
printing. The word processor was then dumped and whatever new program
was needed was downloaded.

Except for the fact that this was all done in monochrome on text based
terminals, how is this different from the "Web PC"?

We read a lot of nonsense about "if the company tries to take away my
PC (which I play games on when the boss is elsewhere) I will not let
them." My description of such a person is "unemployed".  I have had no
contact with Datapoint in over a decade, but surely there should be
some ability to reason from their success or failure what will be the
case with the Web PC.

Best regards,

Art Borg

 ----**----**----**----**----**----**----**----**----**----**----**----**----

