Datapro Report

Users Give a Qualified Yes to NCs

John MacGilvary

Business users appear clearly receptive to network computers (NCs). Over 60 percent of end users surveyed early this year said they would consider giving up their PC for an NC, provided it reduced reliability and ease-of-use problems and still provided access to current PC applications. However, certain types of users are more open to the idea of NCs than others.

NCs come in different flavors. They can be PC-based (e.g., those that comply with the NetPC specification, from Microsoft, Intel, and others), X Window System-based (e.g., Wyse Technologies' WinTerm device), or Java-based (e.g., those offered by Sun Microsystems). The survey focused on Java-based NCs. These are OS-independent and don't contain an internal storage device or removable medium such as a floppy drive. They rely on a server or servers for system management, booting up, running applications, and storage.

Although most people like their PC, the majority said they would consider giving up their hard and floppy drives if the NC solved some of today's basic PC problems. Top complaints about PCs today are programs and files that aren't always compatible with others (35.9 percent of those surveyed complained about this), system crashes (31.3 percent), and notebook/desktop data-sharing hassles (31.3 percent).

As you can see from the chart , users who classified themselves as PC users with an intermediate level of experience are most receptive to exchanging PCs for NCs. Although their application usage patterns are similar to those of advanced users, intermediate users are less likely to spend much time using compute-intensive applications (e.g., programming, desktop publishing, and graphics design).

Advanced users who spend much time using comput e-intensive applications are not necessarily well suited for the NC environment because of their intense local-resource requirements. However, over 50 percent of advanced users were receptive to NCs. Many PC users are frustrated and ready to listen to alternatives. It may not be too difficult for information technology (IT) managers to persuade end users to adopt an NC after all.

---

Criteria for Considering an NC

illustration_link (20 Kbytes)

Intermediate users are most amenable to NCs.

---

John MacGilvary, chief analyst, Worldwide PC Industry. For more information on Datapro reports, call 609-764-0100; fax: 609-764-2814; or http://www.datapro.com .