The Cost of NCs

Janua ry 1997 / Inbox / The Cost of NCs

Your review of the HDS @workStation ("X Terminal + Browser + Java = Web PC," October 1996) shows that a network computer (NC) that's acceptable to a user with enough RAM, a decent monitor, and so forth would cost about the same as a PC. Existing office applications suites are network-aware and can be installed on a server, thereby reducing licensing and support costs. Changing to NCs with browser-based front ends and running server-based Java applications will make little difference in the cost per user.
Then there's the Internet. Like most dial-up users, I won't have access to inexpensive high-capacity bandwidth for ages. A sure way to make me lose interest in a site is to force me to wait 2 or 3 minutes while a Java-based home page builds up. I'm even less interested in waiting 20 minutes for a VRML-based home page to complete. I want to see changes that br ing about more choi ce and better applications, but the credibility of the new technology might be damaged by over-optimistic comments on cost savings and overuse of the technology in inappropriate situations.
Howard Robinson
clippertrading@msn.com

NCs don't need hard disks, CD-ROM drives, floppy drives, extra slots, or a host of other things. Flash ROM and some RAM is enough for a minimal setup. So, NCs can be less expensive. In addition, running an office network isn't as easy as simply buying an office software suite. Users inevitably install their own software; eventually a service technician has to go in and diagnose conflicts individually.
Many businesses also prohibit their employees from downloading software because of fear of viruses. Java is more secure than the old system, and it's also more secure than floppy disk sneakernet. Its garbage collection can also lead to fewer memory management bugs.
In any case, it doesn't really matter whether you download the software as Java applets, EXE files, or COBOL code. The time required is similar, but Java, unlike Zipped EXE files, is optimized for the Web.
Finally, competent Web designers don't overload their pages with unnecessary glitz; they recognize the time-cost of viewing their information. Some don't, of course, but then you don't have to go to their pages. -- Peter Wayner

Matthew Wilson
My approach to software engineering is far more pragmatic than it is theoretical--and no language better exemplifies this than C++.

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