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The real cost of a business PC is staggering. While a powerful computer can be purchased for less than $3,000, the costs of ongoing support accumulate for the life time of the system with estimates ranging from $5-10,000 per year. There is no such thing as an "inexpensive" PC and an organization that prepares a computer budget based strictly on purchase price is in for a rude awakening when total costs are tabulated.
Personal Computers have been purchased by the millions each year and it is widely assumed this would continue in a never ending cycle of installation and upgrade for years to come. A number of major companies don't see it that way, however.
Just one year ago, a new device &emdash; the Network Computer (NC) &emdash; was proposed as a way to curb the runaway costs of PC support in business today. The NC design is based on the premise that all necessary software and information can be stored on a central server and the only requirement of a desktop computer will be to access the network.
Reducing the "Per Seat" Costs
The NC would have no hard drive so there would be no need to install and maintain programs at each workstation. An upgrade to a widely used program would be handled by installing a new program on the server. Primary access to the network would be via a Web browser such as Netscape so the NC would operate with inexpensive, graphically oriented and universal "front end" software.
Initially these devices &emdash; priced under $1,000 &emdash; were thought to be viable alternatives for the family or small business reluctant to buy a more expensive PC. Since the general public will not be so closely tied to the Internet in the near future that a hard disk and local software will be unnecessary, it is unlikely that consumers will be the prime target.
As corporations migrate their systems to Intranets &emdash; locally controlled versions of the Internet &emdash; they will undoubtedly install NCs on many desktops. Since they often purchase hundreds or thousands of computers at a time, NC manufacturers have their sights set squarely on this market segment. Of course many power users will not be satisfied with only network access so the personal computer will be around for a long time. The NC will supplement not replace the traditional PC.
Java Everywhere
The Java programming language will fuel the fire of "netcentric" computing. While only two years old and a close relative of C++, the interest in Java is driven by its use as an Internet programming language. Most Internet Web pages are static &emdash; i.e. a fixed screen of text and graphics. Some Web sites offer animation and other "decorative" features based on Java but the real value of this language will show up in sophisticated data entry and analysis tools. A Java program or "applet" could, for example, perform real time delta checking on lab results in the browser without continuous access to the server data base. This could be done on any modern browser on any PC or Macintosh. The LIS vendor would not be concerned with the type or location of the terminals.
The Smaller the Better
Skyrocketing support costs are driven by the size and complexity of modern programs. A word processor can require 30 megabytes of disk and a high capacity processor to provide adequate performance. When you realize that all most people do with a word processor is type memos, letters or short reports, it makes absolutely no sense to use such a sophisticated program. If you think version 6.0 of Word and WordPerfect are complex, can you imagine what version 16.0 will be like!
It's incredible what the cost of upgrading several hundred users to the next version of the typical "office suite" is when few people will use any of the advanced features. The technology of "Objects" is coming to the rescue.
Object oriented programming is based on the idea that small programs could be used as building blocks for larger applications somewhat like traditional software is composed of "subroutines". The latest incarnations of this technology are quite sophisticated and include OpenDoc from Apple and OLE from Microsoft. Today you can buy a basic word processor for $25 and upgrade later if you want to add a spelling checker and thesaurus. If you decide to put calculations into your document, you can embed a spreadsheet by purchasing another module. Or if you want to do word processing in a spreadsheet, you would embed the first module in the latter.
Ideally, the modules can be stored on a local hard drive or on another computer on the network. Since they are interchangeable, it is possible to replace a module when a better one comes along without discarding the entire application.
Back to the Future
While the idea that "the network is the computer" is baffling to many, it makes sense when you realize how much work should be done in a collaborative fashion. Work in process should be available to anyone anywhere and should not require circulation of a printed report or sending of email. The single most frustrating task on the Internet is to send someone else a file. If the file were prepared and stored on the network, their would be no need to transmit it anywhere.
Programs such as Lotus Notes called "groupware" allow individuals in a department or around the world to work together on a project. The combination of NC hardware, Java programming and Object based software is merely an extension &emdash; albeit dramatic extension &emdash; of this concept.
Personal computers caught on partially because they allowed users the freedom to control their own equipment and software and not rely on the a central Information Systems Department. The complexity of the modern PC, however, requires the same sophisticated IS staff for support and sacrifices the sharing of programs and information that were typical in the days of the mainframe. It appears the pendulum is about to swing back.
This site developed by Gary Braley, Braley Consulting Services, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota