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NC = New Coverage (1/28/98)
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So we've been talking about the rumored Apple NC's a lot lately, and it's no wonder-- with all the world screaming that Apple needs to ship low-cost systems in order to survive, the NC project could single-handedly save the company if it's implemented well. (If it flops, well, it remains to be seen just how much more red ink Apple could bleed before it runs dry.) That's why today's info on the NC's over at MacOS Rumors is so darn interesting...
One of their anonymous sources in the shadows claims that the NC's will cost only $600-700 each. It isn't totally clear if that price includes a display, but if it does, that price point is fantastic, considering it buys you a 233 MHz G3 processor that should be every bit as fast as a current Powermac G3. Local hard disks will be available as an option, but in general all applications and data will be stored on a remote server, connected via the built-in 100baseT Ethernet interface. 100 Mbits/second ought to provide a pretty speedy I/O experience. And best of all, it will run the Mac OS, tweaked slightly to run applications off the server-- using an NC should be just like using a Mac.
The NC is targeted at business and educational use (though a variant for the home is reportedly in the works for a Christmas release), where there are two very attractive reasons to buy into Apple's new project. First of all, you get several incredibly fast machines for a low, low price, which is obviously an attractive offer for schools and businesses who need to buy a slew of computers for a bunch of people without going broke. Secondly, Yours Truly tells you that system administration of thirty Macs scattered throughout a building is not an altogether thrilling task, and the prospect of only having to maintain a single server instead makes my heart sing Cole Porter songs. If Apple pulls this off, and demos the system agressively, it could be a huge turning point for the company. We're keeping every digit crossed with every other digit until these things see the light of day in April.
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 1/28/98 episode: January 28, 1998: Reports of the Newton's death have been greatly exaggerated in the past, but what of the latest rumors of its demise? Meanwhile, whisperings of the imminent visitor known as the Network Computer continue to describe the project as a potential love interest for MIS departments everywhere when it finally emerges from the shadows, and Larry Ellison continues to drool all over Steve Jobs in public...
Other scenes from that episode: 399: Newton Dies... Again (1/28/98) Newton, Apple's "other platform," seems to have more lives than James Bond. We've lost track of how many times we've been told it got killed/cancelled/sold off in the past two years, but the Newton project just seems to keep on ticking; Weebles wobble, but they don't fall down... 401: Down, Boy, Down (1/28/98) Okay, set us straight-- every time Larry Ellison starts blabbering to the press about how wonderful Steve Jobs is, should we feel an overwhelming sense of warmth and admiration for his profound sense of friendship and loyalty?...
Or view the entire episode as originally broadcast... | |  |
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