By Linda Leung, VNU Net
US consumers can now buy the long-awaited $199 New Internet
Computers (NICs) touted by Oracle chief executive Larry
Ellison, but only through Amazon’s auction facility.
Ten of the web devices have been released to Amazon for
customers to bid for on the bookseller’s US website. The systems
were originally launched by the New Internet Company in May and
only available for buyers who would donate them to schools. General
availability is expected at the end of this month.
Each NIC comes with a 266Mhz Cyrix-made processor, 64Mb RAM and
a 56K modem. There is no hard disk drive and a version of the Linux
runs on a CDRom drive.
The system is the latest incarnation of the original $500
network computer, which failed to make a dent in the market against
the falling prices of Intel PCs running Microsoft Windows. The
original system was manufactured by Network Computer, which was
later morphed into Liberate Technologies and now sells internet
software for TV set-top boxes.
Bidding for one of the 10 systems began yesterday and will end
on Monday. The opening price was $1 and by late afternoon US time,
78 people had bid for the system with the highest bid at $300.