Along with its upcoming Corel Office for Java suite of applications, Corel Corp. is testing it's new video network computer. The CorelVideo NC (V-NC) will feature built-in videoconferencing and is scheduled to ship in the first quarter of 1997. Cindy Scott, Corel's manager of media relations, says the company expects the V-NC to sell for less than $1,000 through Corel's existing network of resellers, retailers, and VARs.

The CorelVideo NC will be aimed at corporate users, but unlike other early NCs from firms such as Oracle and IBM, it will have a number of multimedia features, including a built-in speaker, microphone, and digital camera. The system will also come with Corel's videoconferencing software. Corel sees standard videoconferencing as a way to distinguish its product from the wave of NCs hitting the market.

"[Network] bandwidth is increasing on a regular basis, so we think that videoconferencing is ready to take off, especially among the corporate users we are targeting," says Scott.

The V-NC will use a Motorola MPC 821 PowerPC processor and have 16MB of memory. Although it will not have a hard drive, it will support external devices through two PC Card slots. Internet connectivity will be supplied by either a built-in V.34 modem or a 10Mbps Ethernet interface.

Corel also plans a portable version of the NC that will run Java applets, provide a pen-based interface, and feature an Ethernet port. The portable, dubbed the Personal Network Computer (P-NC), should be available later this year. According to Scott, "The P-NC has been pushed to the back burner in order to get the V-NC out on time."

Source: Computer Shopper