Archive Magazine 1996/ARCHIVE_96.iso/discs/mag_discs/volume_9/issue_11/clippings/nc

Text File | 1996-06-28 | 19KB | 373 lines

The Acorn NC Netstation - an Acorn Computer Group plc Press release briefing
document. á

Overview

Acorn Computer Group plc, based in Cambridge, England, has the opportunity
to become a major contributor to the emerging standard for network
computing. Acorn is providing reference designs for this new class of
appliance which is predicted to herald the fourth wave of computing. The
first wave was the mainframe, the second the minicomputer, the third the PC
- now enters the Network Computer.


What is a Network Computer?

The Network Computer (NC) is a fully functional multimedia appliance that
makes access to, and use of, internal and external networks. NCs support
Web-browsing, electronic mail, word processing, databases, spreadsheets and
graphics. NCs are intelligent devices which are connected to networks and
gain all of their power from this connectivity. They cost little because
they do not need local mass storage, have minimal RAM requirements and can
be designed from a range of low-cost competitive components. The NC changes
the way that computers are perceived in that they are small, easy to use and
do not carry the initial costs associated with the 'normal' personal
computers on sale today.


What is a NetStation?

This is an alternative name for the Network Computer.


What is Acorn delivering?

Acorn is producing reference designs for a range of network computing
devices being promoted by Oracle Corporation - the world's second largest
software company. The majority of the development work is being undertaken
in Cambridge, England, and the first working designs are based on the
ARM7500 processor, jointly developed by Acorn and its sister company
Advanced RISC Machines Ltd.

Acorn has capitalised on its heritage of product and technology innovation
to produce working prototypes which have been publicly demonstrated by
Oracle in San Francisco and Amsterdam. Acorn will deliver complete product
manufacturing packages, which Oracle will re-license to major international
corporations.

Acorn's agreement allows the British company to develop the designs into
products which can be marketed and sold under any of Acorn's brand names.
What are the standards for NetStations?

The Internet gives access to many different kinds of data.  NetStations will
be based on open Internet standards which allow the user maximum access to
data and will include standards such as HTML, SUN Microsystems' Java, and
audio and video encoders and decoders. Support for standards will be at a
level that is independent of any specific machine architecture, allowing
developers to create applications that will run on many different platforms.


Why is Acorn's technology appropriate?

Acorn is uniquely placed to design and license low-cost consumer products;
for ten years it has produced high-performance RISC-based computer products
which have been the first to break price bands from $2,000 down to $500.
These products have high-quality screen displays - the result of Acorn's
development of technology to drive televisions screens. In addition, all
Acorn designs benefit from the low-power consumption of the ARM processors.

Display quality and low-power requirements are vital if the NetStation
device is to be used regularly in a family sitting room. Research indicates
that families do not wish to sit around a 14 or 17 inch monitor, nor do they
want a cooling fan whirring away, drowning the sound from the TV. The
NetStation has to be capable of displaying high-quality text and images, and
of operating both in an active and a passive (standby) mode for many hours
without consuming vast amounts of energy.

Acorn's experience in designing and manufacturing products in common use in
UK schools and homes has been invaluable in building the skills and
technologies to develop this type of device.

Acorn's experience in broadband technologies, and in computer and set-top
box design, has been utilised to ensure that the Internet connection is
de-mystified and that it follows a straightforward consumer appliance route.

What hardware and software does Acorn have that is relevant?

* A small, powerful, real time, ROM-based operating system
* Software and hardware to produce high-quality text and images on TV displays
  using anti-twittering, advanced font display techniques and picture
  enhancements
* High performance, highly integrated, low-power consumption chip, eg,
  ARM7500
* Low memory requirement - typically 2 or 4MB RAM
* Software drivers for a broad range of networks
* Programmable video control to provide up to 16 million colours at a range of
  resolutions

Can others compete?

Acorn believes the PC approach makes if difficult for manufacturers to
design and build Network Computers. The inherent cost of the components and
the minimum hardware requirements to operate these devices penalise a PC
supplier.

Acorn believes the PC approach will be unable to meet an acceptable consumer
price point, and brings with it proprietary burdens and overheads that are
not necessary for an NC. In addition, there is no low-cost, mainstream
operating system for PCs which has the modest memory and storage needs
required. The target consumers who will be attracted will require these
devices to operate in a way more akin to a domestic hi-fi or video player
than a traditional computer.

Pricing levels of less than $500 will allow the NetStation to compete in the
consumer appliance market. Claims, by those who have long held a monopoly in
the PC world, that they can produce low-cost NetStations must be seen as a
typical computer industry attempt to try to prevent or delay a change in
technology direction, while it struggles to catch up to preserve its
monopoly position.

What is Oracle's role?

Oracle is not a hardware provider and will not be building its own NCs.
Oracle is working with others in the industry (including Acorn) to ensure
the NC concept is turned into a reality, and that it remains based on
existing and emerging Internet standards.


Oracle NC White Paper

NC introduction

Are there benefits to other UK IT companies?

Acorn has an infrastructure of approximately 300 registered software
developers who are based in the UK. They are experienced in producing
software for Acorn products and a number of them are already developing
products which will be licensed as part of the reference designs.  The
opportunities for these companies to develop NC-related products are
immense.

How will users connect?

From a users perspective Network Computers will be easy to use and will
connect into a network. There will be a wire for power, a wire for
connection to a display (either a TV or a monitor) and a wire for connection
into the network (via a telephone or cable link in the home).  Initially
connection will be to fixed and narrowband networks, but Acorn believes
wireless networks and ATM-based broadband networks, in time will become
increasingly important and will replace the current and limited
telephone-based ones.

Current PC access to the Internet is still very complex for the average (ie,
naive) user (is the cable correct? is the modem set up correctly? does the
software/OS work with the hardware?, etc.). Network Computers will address
the consumers' connectivity difficulties, providing standard narrowband
access, configured operating systems and access to user accounts without the
complicated log-on procedures currently necessary.  The appropriate network
technology will be built into the box to allow Network Computers to talk to
internal and external networks using the most convenient connections (modem
or dedicated network card).

How will NetStations know about the user?

Acorn is integrating the use of smart card technology to make sure that the
operation of its Network Computers is easy. Imagine the scenario...

Into one of these Network Computer boxes you put your own smart card. It
will switch on the machine and after checking that you are the owner of the
card, log you in, recognise who you are, what your interests are and what
information you were looking at on the previous occasion when you were
on-line.

Oracle and Acorn envisage a time when this technology will allow any Network
Computer to take your smart card so you can log on anywhere in the world, on
any Network Computer, and access your information. We hope (and expect)
service providers to deliver services in a similar fashion to those
currently available with a mobile phone, ie, the product you purchase
determines what your access is.

The Network Computer operation will be seamless, and taking out the card
will log you off your account and switch off the Network Computer. Can the
infra-structure cope?

Today, once connected, PC users can still experience problems with delays in
accessing services. This is particularly the case when retrieving
information containing large images. Acorn knows that these limitations are
being addressed by Internet service providers who are investing heavily in
improving access and speed. However, Acorn believes narrowband technology is
an interim technology and will in time be replaced by broadband networks.
This will happen as demand for faster access, high-quality images and video
streams increases. Acorn's Online Media is already at the forefront of these
developments, providing products and services that can exploit this market
as it emerges. It has recently announced (27 April 1996) the world's first
Web access for users of interactive TV. Users on the Cambridge iTV trial can
experience the Web with all of the advantages that high-speed access and
integration of video bring.

Why are companies looking at building Network Computers?

There is an indication that PC sales are increasingly replacement ones
rather than new purchases. We have been developing this kind of technology
over many months and it points towards a new era of computing.  Companies
are looking to NetStations as a way of reaching the mass of potential users
who are still largely TV- or paper-oriented, not computer oriented.

Will NCs be a substitute for, or supplemental to, PCs?

The NC is simple and inexpensive, and is not designed to replace PCs. NCs
will be supplemental technology. Although PCs will be able to do many of the
important, specialist tasks easily and quickly, most people only want to
store a small amount of personal data, write a few letters (e-mail) and get
access to the pool of information that is the WWW. The rule of thumb is that
a PC is good for information creation and the NC is great for information
consumption.

How important will the home market be in the long run?

Corporate clients are important to the development of the NC because they
already know the real annual cost of keeping a PC on everyone's desk.  With
a PC they have to have an infrastructure to support the end-user, but have
no control on the quality and quantity of software being used, or on backup
processes, or over infection from external sources. The PC in this
environment is the personal responsibility of the user and the Gartner Group
has estimated the annual cost per machine per year for support is circa $8K
to $8.5K (Oracle source). NCs provide an obvious answer to this problem.
They are low-cost and therefore more of them can be put on a site.

They are easy to maintain because they keep all of their files on a central
server, and pick up much of their software from a server that can be kept
updated.

Software upgrading will not be a major cultural event - it will just happen.
People won't have to stand in line overnight to get software because
upgrades will occur automatically down a wire. Oracle and Acorn share a
vision of the NetStation as upgradable to the extent that the user may not
even be aware the latest software has been installed.

The education market will be important for this kind of technology because
the cost is low. Students will have much wider access to this technology -
because schools will be able to install some kind of NetStation device in a
wider variety of locations.

There is a broad mass of home users who are also highly suited for this
technology. Although, their current understanding of the Internet is very
low, awareness of it is high, and natural curiosity is helping create a
desire to know more. Such consumers want to use the Internet with the family
and not in the office or study. Imagine the scenario of a family watching
TV. An item appears about monetary union and the kids want to know more
about the background, national interests involved, what the controversy is
about, etc. Or, more likely, they want to know about the weather or football
results! While continuing to watch the programme the family can set the
NetStation off searching for relevant information and then flip back to the
NetStation when the information has arrived!

Where is the bandwidth going to come from: ISDN, ATM or cable data modems?

Initially, connections will depend on whether the link is to a telecom
company, cable company or internal LAN. There are clearly some
infrastructures best suited to the long-term growth of narrow and then later
broadband communications. We are running low-cost ATM on the Cambridge
interactive TV trial. Acorn's guess is that the infrastructure will be
forced to change over time, as consumers create demand which will have to be
satisfied by CableCo or TelCo.

Will the current cable networks be able to support the amount of traffic?

Already our NCs are foreseen as appropriate for many different networks.
Acorn will start by supporting modems, Ethernet and ATM to be followed by
ISDN and cable modems. The faster the links and the better the quality of
service, the more use the NC can make of them. You will be able to plug the
Acorn NetStation device into the same network as a PC. NCs support modems,
video- on-demand (software), 32-bit stereo audio, video conferencing and
will operate on a range of monitor standards including both PAL and NTSC
standard televisions.

How will people pay for the service?

There will be a variety of models which will gradually develop and change.
These could range from a per-month subscription with free access/storage to
pay-per-page (unlikely). It could be that the model will be very similar to
that already provided by some of the experts at delivering information into
the home - pay for a standard subscription with a limited (but fully
functional) set of services, then purchase your Gold or extended options
later, as and when they become of value to you.

Are Far Eastern produced consoles the dark horses in this race?

Consoles have had a lot of success in the consumer arena, but they cannot
deliver the quality of display that is required. They are targeted at
low-resolution and high-performance games which tend to be optimised for
particular hardware.

The NC will have to be a standards-based device. The NC is designed to be
'open', using Internet standards. Many of these need substantial software
and generalised computing power, and it is unlikely that console
manufacturers will be able to provide these. (Would such companies in any
case wish to do so being used to making their money from locking customers
into what could be considered a restrictive regime?)

Will there still be a role for CD-ROM with NCs?

There could be a role. CD-ROM could be considered a transitional technology
but is also an excellent vehicle for providing more permanent data such as
'personal images', eg, PhotoCD. They could provide a multi-functional device
and include audio CD, PhotoCD, linear CDi, video CD, music CD and karaoke
CD. Is Microsoft's SIPC an NC?

Microsoft originally discounted the idea of the NC, but now that it is being
taken seriously it has had to respond. The SIPC is not an NC but just a
response to it. There are many in the industry who see network computing as
a way of removing Microsoft's monopoly. Here is an opportunity for a fourth
wave of computing that is as non-monopolistic as were the first two. The
implications of the success of NCs on UK education

Acorn Computer Group's educational company, Xemplar Education Ltd, has
developed a programme of consultation to determine the educational
requirements of NC technology. Acorn believes that the impact on society
will be immense and is concerned to promote a wide-ranging debate about it.
Acorn and Xemplar recognise the difference between training, teaching and
learning:

* Training is largely inflicted on the learner, who is instructed on how to
  complete a specific task or series of tasks. Common training examples are using
  a specific word processor or fixing a specific component of a vehicle.

* Teaching is participative, with the teacher interacting with the learner to guide
  and advise the learner about techniques and skills which transcend a specific
  task and lead to personal development. An example of this is providing
  principles for the use of a range of word processors or software packages, or
  general information on how to fix a problem with regard to a range of engine
  types.

* Learning is the assimilation of information and the application of this into new
  areas. Clearly learning can be acquired through training and teaching, as well as
  from personal experience and private study.

We believe that Network Computer products will enable learning.  Individuals
or groups will be able to gain knowledge and experience by using this
technology to gather information to support their self-development.

Acorn foresees the role of educational institutions changing as students of
all ages are trained to use the emerging technologies to research and gather
information to support projects that they will be set by their tutor or
mentor. This will enable them to develop at their own pace and in a wider
range of areas. Students will visit educational institutions for social
interaction, personal guidance and training in new tools or applications.
Schools may become a central resource area where expensive, specialised and
large apparatus will be housed, with the appropriate expertise available to
instruct the student in its safe and efficient operation.

Clearly these changes will occur over time, and educational institutions of
different types will change in different ways and at different rates.
Institutions where core skills and social interaction predominate, such as
primary schools, will change more slowly and less significantly than others.

We expect to see local educational institutions become part of a connected
learning environment - providing the resources for the whole community. This
reinforces our view that the role of education in our society has to change
to enable its members - all of them - to develop their personal skills
throughout their life.

A full strategy document for the delivery of appropriate technologies for
learning is available from Xemplar Education Ltd - the Acorn and Apple joint
venture for educational IT.



Acorn and the Acorn device, Acorn Online Media and the Om device, Acorn Risc
Technologies and the ART device, and Acorn Networking Computing are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Acorn Computer Group plc. All other
brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective holders, and are hereby acknowledged.