Notes
1
The network computer (NC) does not have an agreed-upon definition. Some NCs
are new devices designed to run software written in Java, with gateways to
existing programs and data. These are the official Network Computers (an
Oracle trademark) and JavaStations (a Sun trademark). Other NCs are more like
terminals in the classic sense: they don't execute programs at the desktop.
Instead, applications run remotely on a server, and the client handles only
the graphics locally. The generic term for these and the true NC alternatives
to the personal computer (PC) is "thin client". They are referred to as
"thin" because they are generally less complex and less expensive than a PC.
However, recent developments by Microsoft and others have muddied the waters a
bit with the "NetPC," which is essentially a stripped-down and sealed PC that
is meant to be centrally administered.