“The latest, and allegedly first marketable, version of the New
Internet Computer was released at the Showcase conference in Palm
Springs this week. Funded by Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, San
Francisco-based The New Internet Computer Company is the tech
titan’s latest attempt to sell the network computer concept he
first pitched in 1996.”
“But unlike the earlier NCs which used proprietary software, the
new NIC 2.0 is based on a standard Linux operating and may be the
first device of its kind to support Macromedia’s Flash format as
well as other streaming video and audio formats such as Real
Player’s G2. Setup has also been streamlined on NIC 2.0.”
“Best of all, NIC has kept the $199 price (sans monitors) of the
original model. Other features in the 266 MHz unit include a
built-in 56 Kbps modem, and 10/100 base-T Ethernet connection for
high speed access, CD ROM drive, and a CD of software including
Netscape Navigator 4.7, and the Internet plug-ins to handle
different media files.”