If Oracle, Sun, IBM, and a handful of other major PC manufacturers are successful at promoting a minimalist approach to computing, our future desktops will be sporting a retro look--not unlike the dumb terminals of the past. You have probably heard of the Network Computer (NC). These "thin clients," usually priced between $500 and $1,000, plug into your existing LAN and offer quick and easy access to information and applets located on the Internet or on your corporate intranet.

Based on the NC Reference Profile--a set of open standards defined by Apple Computer, Netscape Communications Corp., Oracle Corp., and Sun Microsystems--NCs are intended to be fully functioning multimedia devices that allow you to do just about everything: browse the Web, send and receive e-mail, and use standard office applications such as word processors and spreadsheets. In response to the NC juggernaut, Microsoft is also getting ready to announce a version of the NC. At press time the Microsoft proposal was not available, but sources say the devices are very similar to the NC and will still run Windows.

Although NCs offer some obvious advantages, at least in theory, to anyone who doesn't require a power-user desktop setup, implementation may not be as straightforward as the NC concept itself is. Unfortunately, many of the NCs that are currently available cost more than $1,000 without monitors and require additional hardware plus expensive server software, particularly in a corporate intranet environment. Integrating thin clients into a traditional LAN is also uncharted territory that may pose many obstacles for network administrators.

How do the devices connect to your LAN, for example, and what changes will you have to make to your network software, infrastructure, protocols, and servers? How do you know if your company should make the transition, and who are the likely candidates for using an NC?

Here we attempt to answer these questions and more, and we offer some suggestions for making smart decisions when it comes time for you to choose between a traditional Windows-based Intel-standard PC and an NC.

Cost Of Ownership

In the Network Computer model, processing takes place on the client side--unlike with the dumb terminal. Applications and data are automatically downloaded to the NC on an as-needed basis across a TCP/IP connection from one or more servers. The NC is not a "dumb" device; it's a resource-friendly machine that relies on the network for the data and other resources it needs to do its job.

The features and minimum specifications are spelled out by Oracle and the other proponents of the Network Computer Reference Profile. According to the profile, the NC is intended to be an open, scalable platform that can work with everything from palmtops to desktops. NCs that adhere to the profile rely on a common, Java-based programming environment that enables network-resident applications as well as stand-alone applications. The applications typically depend on the network but may also be able to work on their own. (Visit http://www.nc.ihost.com for the complete NC reference document.)

One of the major arguments used to try to sway potential buyers is the hope of lower cost of ownership. Because the network applications are stored on the network file servers, NCs will be easier and less expensive to install and maintain. Think of all the time, after all, that your operations personnel have spent traveling from cubicle to cubicle to install a new application, edit INI files, or deal with GPFs. Because all the applications and network data are stored on the file server, NCs are designed to save the help-desk hours spent troubleshooting application errors on client PCs. All in all, it's an argument that may be true for the long term. But few cost savings are found at the outset of any new technology, and the NC is no exception.

Even though companies such as HDS Network Systems and Boundless Technologies have been shipping NCs since last summer, acceptance has been slow. Why? One reason may be that there are no off-the-shelf applications available for the NC. Corel is working hard to provide the first commercial package by setting WordPerfect up on Java. Trouble is, many of the initial offerings don't exactly adhere to the NC specification. The devices currently available from Boundless and HDS, for example, can't run Java apps and must have a Windows NT server that runs Citrix WinFrame access server on the network in order to run Windows-based applications.

While WinFrame is a very powerful application for allowing low-end PCs to run 32-bit applications, it requires approximately 250MB of RAM and a high-end processor to handle only 25 clients. These hardware requirements, plus the $5,000 for WinFrame software, starts to cut into the low cost of ownership touted by NC vendors. Other NCs that strictly adhere to the specification, such as the Sun JavaStation, don't require an access server and connect directly to your file server running TCP/IP and a Web server with Java applets. Unfortunately, only the former devices are currently available on the market.

Implementing The NC

So which users are likely to get the NCs on their desks? If you're the typical PC user, the thought of giving up your own super-powered desktop PC may not sit well with you. But don't worry: There's little chance of NCs conquering the desktop computing market. However, industry heavyweights such as Apple, IBM, Oracle, Netscape, and Sun want you to consider deploying NCs for specific tasks such as data entry, Web browsing, point of sale, and corporate intranet use.

Almost by design, in fact, the NC is targeted toward clerical and vertical applications. From even the most basic NC, you will be able to send and receive e-mail, access the Internet or corporate intranet, or run the new breed of Java-based productivity applications once they're available. This demonstrates one of the real pushes behind the NC: Not all users need a Pentium powerhouse on their desk, because an NC can easily handle routine tasks such as e-mail or Web research. Despite this fact, of course, the flip side of NC placement is that most users still want a powerful PC on their desk.

If you're setting up a new LAN, you're in luck; probably the best area for the NC to make its mark is in new network installations that use Java-based vertical applications. Aside from NCs' being a whole new field for application developers to exploit, the marriage of Java apps and intranets is an exciting new way for companies to do business.

Ever since we first heard about NCs, however, the more common issue has arisen around the question, "How do I integrate them with my existing LAN?" The answer is that you don't really. Because of the basic differences in how NCs and PCs operate, they can't truly plug in side by side without a lot of effort on your part. For explanation, let's cover some of the basic differences between the NC (as set down in the reference profile) and the PC as we have grown to depend on it.

The first major difference is in the choice of CPU. While some NCs will use Intel-based chips, most will not; in fact, Intel's Pentium is in the minority when it comes to the CPU of choice. While Unisys is choosing a 133MHz Pentium for its Aquanta SC Network Access Computer, another Intel offering, the popular i960 processor, is finding its way into a couple of NC offerings. Among other products, some IBM NCs will ship with a PowerPC CPU. And Wyse will make use of Digital Equipment Corp.'s StrongARM processor.

The next thing you'll notice is that the familiar operating system you've been using for the past five or 10 years isn't there anymore. Since the NC usually doesn't come with a local hard disk, the system will boot itself up from onboard ROM and load the operating system across the LAN. Whether you are an OS/2, Windows 95, or DOS/Windows user, you should expect to spend some time learning a new user interface--which more than likely will be based on some variation of current browser technology. Things might look a little more familiar on the systems that make use of WinFrame, since they will run standard Windows applications.

The last major difference is in the network protocol that NCs will use for their network communications: TCP/IP. This protocol, in fact, is definitely becoming the No. 1 choice for many network administrators. But if you're still using IPX or even NetBIOS, you'll have to purchase IP and install it onto your file server.

So once you've added IP to your server, set up the NCs to boot properly, and gotten the new UI figured out, what do you do with it? None of your current applications will run on the NCs, and the jury is still out on whether data will be interchangeable. Essentially, you'll have two independent networks on the same cable. Until your company develops its own Java-based applications or you find off-the-shelf Java applications, you won't have accomplished much.

Down to the Wire

As with everything in life, there are pros and cons. All new technology has the potential to change the world, but sometimes patience is the best philosophy.

One of the basic arguments for the NC, again, is the reduction in the amount of time spent maintaining each client station by loading application software onto a central file server. This practice, however, has been done with PCs for years over standard LANs. You can install Microsoft Office on your file server, for example, and your PC clients can run Word and Excel from the server.

The NC Reference Profile also states that the system architecture must be "open." This is a plus for the NC so long as the software and hardware developers adhere to the standards. Current desktop PCs already meet the minimum NC requirements.

One area that we haven't paid too much attention to, though, is the increase of network traffic that NCs will create. Think about it: Everything an NC needs is on the file server--the operating system, the applications, the data. Current 10Mbps Ethernet LANs may find themselves overwhelmed in a packet-traffic jam; in fact, IBM's NC will ship only with a 100Mbps Ethernet adapter. So unless you planned for the future when you originally had your twisted-pair cable pulled, you may be forced to rewire your entire LAN with Category 5 wire, not to mention install new hubs and network cards for the servers. Call them the usual hidden start-up costs.

All things being equal, the biggest drawback to NCs at this point is the dearth of applications. You can go down to your corner Kmart and pick up PC and Mac software for your home or office. It will be a while before you can do the same for the NC.

Sun and Oracle make the NC sound unbeatable, but in truth all bets are off until NCs start shipping in large numbers and applications are available. Does it make sense to jump into this new technology? Only you can decide that. If you answer yes to this question, then more than likely you have an installed intranet or are currently developing Java- and Web-based applications. If, like us, you answer no, you probably have a traditional LAN using NetWare or Windows NT, or you have no plans to set up an intranet.

Network Computers probably aren't going to take over tomorrow. But as the hardware matures and more applications become available, they are bound to grow in importance.

Source: Computer Shopper