Last week, Google and Wyse Technology announced a bold idea as they will collaborate to create a new generation of Network Computers (NC).
NCs are a concept and an ambitious plan proposed by Oracle in the 1990s. At that time, Oracle faced significant obstacles in executing this plan, preventing it from becoming a reality.
Unlike its predecessors, Google is quietly developing a suite of software services that can compete with Microsoft’s office applications, integrating more network services, particularly Internet services.
However, discussions and press conferences have focused on Google-branded computers, which are priced around $200. This system will integrate Google’s service packages targeting the markets of India and China, where home PCs are not prevalent, primarily being used in business environments and collaborative workspaces.
In fact, the systems that Google has mentioned are not entirely NCs as defined by Oracle. They fall under the category of thin client network computers (thin client NCs), a type of specialized client operating in a network environment, described as a versatile and specialized terminal (according to Mr. John Kish, the new CEO of Wyse Technology).
A few companies attempted to produce specialized systems for web browsing and email in the late 1990s but failed (Oracle’s $199 NC system was discontinued in 2003). Wyse itself is also researching thin client NCs in Windows and Linux environments.
Mr. Ray Ozzie, the project lead, believes that the situation has changed since the 1990s when broadband Internet and Internet-based applications were not as widespread as they are today. Google’s systems are attractively priced and highly adaptable, and moreover, Google possesses the infrastructure needed for networking applications. But what would happen if the Internet encountered issues and experienced downtime?
It is still too early to draw any conclusions or make objective assessments. However, we cannot deny that a new trend is emerging in this digital industry.
Who knows, it may not be long before we have Google PCs, standing alongside other tech giants like AMD, Intel, and IBM… Observers are closely watching every move of Ray Ozzie.
