************************************* * * * DB/C Newsletter * * November 1996 * * * ************************************* Editor's Notes This month's article provides an overview of one of the hottest topics in the computer industry today - the network PC. The level of hype surrounding the network PC is high, even higher than normal for our industry. Hopefully, this article will help you cut through the rhetoric and understand a little more about this new area. Beta test versions of both FSS and DB/C 9.1 are just around the corner. As is typical for many software projects, the DB/C 9.1 upgrade is suffering from the syndrome know as feature-creep. Feature-creep is an affliction that affects many software projects. Just when all of the features have been agreed to and coding is well under way or even complete, up pop a few new requirements that just must be in the software. Feature-creep is the reason why the start of beta testing for DB/C 9.1 has been moved back. We will be detailing these additional features in next month's newsletter. AGAIN PLEASE NOTE: The new area code of the phone numbers of Subject, Wills and Company is 630. For convenience, you will be able to use the existing area code, 708, until November 29th. don.wills@swc.com The Network Computer (or whatever it's called!) In the past few weeks, several of the major players in the computer industry have held press conferences and launch events to introduce their own brand of network computer (usually abbreviated to NC). Each of these NCs is similar in some respects, but there are also significant differences. Some months ago, Oracle began talking about its own $500 network computer that would be aimed at both home and industry. It was a bare bones machine that was going to reinvent the computer industry, as well as Oracle. As you probably know, Oracle is primarily known for its flagship SQL server product that typically only runs well on BIG iron - mainframes and big UNIX machines. Given its history, Oracle didn't seem particularly well-suited to lead the industry in the direction of a small system (in terms of hardware and software). But Oracle's announcements hit a nerve in with many companies, particularly large companies that are incurring large costs in support of local area networks using Microsoft Windows-based Intel PCs as clients. Initially, Microsoft was negative about the Oracle NC initiative. In the meantime, Sun had been playing with a new language (now named Java) that was meant to run on TV set-top boxes (like cable TV boxes) that would bring Internet-like capabilities into every home that has a TV. When Sun repositioned Java as a portable language that could be used in conjunction with the World Wide Web, interest in it skyrocketed. Seeing the success of Java and wanting to get on the NC bandwagon, Sun decided to incorporate Java into a network PC that would compete with whatever Oracle was going to come out with. So JavaOS and the JavaStation were born. Microsoft, which had also played down the importance of Java with respect to the WWW, decided to embrace both Java and the NC. About six months ago, Microsoft licensed Java from Sun and announced that it would be incorporated into Internet Explorer (IE). The ActiveX controls (called OCX controls until about 12 months ago) used in IE were to be complemented by Java applets. In May, Oracle announced the NC System Software Suite definition. This is the definition of software components that are required to be in any Oracle NC machine. Several hardware manufacturers, including Olivetti and Wyse, committed to making machines based on this definition. On September, IBM announced the IBM Network Station which will sell for $700. On October 1, Oracle's new subsidiary, Network Computer, Inc., announced details of its Network Computing Architecture (NCA) along with several partners, including Novell, Netscape, Compaq, HP, DEC, NEC and others. On October 28, Microsoft announced its network computer - the NetPC. Microsoft partners for the NetPC include Compaq, HP, DEC, NEC, etc. In the announcement, Microsoft contrasted the NetPC with the competing Sun and Oracle NCs. On October 29, Sun announced the JavaStation and JavaOS. Oracle is expected to announce its own NC machine in early November. The technical specifications for each of these competing platforms are quite dissimilar. The IBM Network Station is based on the PowerPC. It does not contain a hard disk. In other respects it is a traditional workstation, in that it does contain an expansion bus, Ethernet, etc. The Microsoft NetPC is a member of the Microsoft Intel Windows family of PCs. It is not really a new machine or environment. Its only uniqueness is the specification that it not contain expansion slots and that it must contain a lockable case. Microsoft is obviously trying to address the maintenance costs of existing Windows networks, but without really changing much. Here is a quick summary of the hardware specs for the Microsoft NetPC: Pentium processor or equivalent running at 100Mhz or better 16MB main memory Bus compliant with Plug and Play specs Hard disk A network interface (Ethernet or RS-232 based) Windows operating system No expansion slots Key lockable case Sun's specification for its Java-based NC only requires that the machine be capable of running the Java Virtual Machine. The machine can be a Windows machine, a Macintosh, a Sun Sparcstation, or any other computer. It does not need to have a hard disk - it must only have a network connection which can be used for downloading Java bytecodes and for communicating with servers. Sun announced the JavaStation as an inexpensive NC that meets the its NC requirements. Here is a quick summary of the hardware specs of the JavaStation: 100 Mhz SPARC chip 8 MB main memory No bus No hard disk Ethernet and RS-232 interfaces JavaOS operating system According to the press releases, all of these machines will available in 1997. The Oracle NCA is the backbone of the Oracle NC network. The NCA seems to be an enhancement to CORBA and DCOM. It is quite an ambitious project. Here is a quote about it from an Oracle press release: "Network Computing Architecture also transcends the Internet/object standards battle, so customers and developers can make ActiveX, OLE, Java, Corba, IIOP and other software components work together without getting locked into dead-end solutions. Network Computing Architecture will simplify the problem through the use of open Internet standards and unique "bridging" software that helps application components work together." What does all of this mean? First, all of the major players in the computer industry are jumping on this bandwagon, so it probably will be important. Second, everybody seems to agree that there are major problems with support of existing highly distributed Windows-based LAN and WAN systems. And third, everybody is trying to take away some of Microsoft's market for desktop operating systems. The only common denominators in all of these proposals seems to be Java and TCP/IP. It is too early to tell the winners from the losers, but it will certainly be interesting to watch. DB/C Class Schedule Class Date Location DB/C 9 Fundamentals January 1997 Oak Brook, IL DB/C 9 Advanced Features January 1997 Oak Brook, IL For information, contact Judi Tamkevic at: voice 630.572.0240 fax 630.572.0390 email dbc@swc.com