New Internet Computer Co., the brainchild of
Oracle Corp. luminary Larry Ellison, Tuesday unveiled the second
version of its New Internet Computer (NIC) appliance at the fifth
Upside Showcase event in Palm Springs, Calif.
Priced at $199, the device offers Internet access and
plug-and-play e-mail and boasts support for most popular printers,
instant messaging, MP3 player enhancements and more games, among
other things.
According to NIC Chief Executive Officer and President Gina
Smith, it is the “most affordable Internet appliance on the
market.” Smith also said its easy-to-use manner and lack of a need
for long-term ISP relationships make the new app especially
attractive.
In conjunction with that announcement, NIC said it had partnered
with EarthLink to add the ISP’s services via NIC 2.0.
“…With NIC 2.0, a NIC customer can sign up to a new account
with EarthLink in seconds,” Smith said.
The new NIC CD, available free of charge to current NIC users,
will be available in February through NIC’s site.
NIC Co. also introduced a suite of flat-screen displays to
complement the NIC product line. Starting at $399, the displays
come in 12″ and 14″, active and passive matrix.