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Web TV is actually a very sensible alternative to the "Cray 3 on a
Desktop" solutions we've been using to accomodate Windows95, Windows NT,
and Windows NT 4.0.  For someone who wants a laptop that's a bit more than
a Pilot and a bit Less than a Pentium supercomputer on a laptop, a Compaq
Aero is "Enough".  Marketing people need to spend $5000 for multimedia
laptops that can crank out 4 hours worth of presentations including
real-time 3d animation.  The guy who want's to do a bit of shopping and
jot off a little e-mail, a $300 PC and a high-speed modem is just the
ticket.

The idea isn't new though.  The Linux operating system has been supported
with an entire suite of applications (what windows calls applets), since
it's earliest inception.  You can load the operating system and then load
the various application "Packages" and unload them.  You can use a CD-ROM,
an NFS server (Frequently another Linux machine), or download directly
from the internet.  Packages are usually less than 1.4 megabytes
compressed and are decompressed by the package tool or package manager.

What Sun and Java bring to the party is a suite of applications that can
be run on Unix OR on Windows 95/NT.  Other application suites that have
this capability are PERL 5.0, TCL/TK, HTML/CGI, and VRML.

In addition, these "front-end" systems can be driven by backend
"pipelines".

A good 486/50 makes a very intense Linux workstation.  Price (used)
at under $350 plus monitor, it's not a bad alternative.  If you're one of
those workers whose PC is being replaced by a Pentium because the 486
can't hack NT 4.0, ask if you can buy your old machine.  Companies like
Computer Renaisance let you buy in cheap.

Web TV is another alternative for that "LowBall market".  Suddenly, UNIX
(Linux), that operating system that was too expensive and too complicated
to compete with MS-Windows has become an attractive alternative.  If Sun
comes out with a full-function version of Solaris for Under $200, they
could cash in on the Linux market.  If they would rather not have to
deal with the support headaches of dealing with a grandmother who
doesn't know the difference between \ and /, they may concentrate on
the corporate customer.   Meanwhile, WebTV gives provides a common
baseline from which to build applications that can be run on machines
ranging from under $200 to over $5 Million.


	Rex Ballard - Director of Electronic Distribution
	Standard & Poor's/McGraw-Hill
	Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect
	the Management of the McGraw-Hill Companies.
	http://cnj.digex.net/~rballard



From rballard@cnj.digex.net Mon Dec 23 02:41:15 1996
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