Internet Appliances Ease Visits to Web
I’ve been attending Comdex computer trade shows since 1981 and, just about every year, there are one or two themes that dominate.
A major theme at this year’s Comdex was what some attendees were calling the “post-PC era.” Hardly anyone was predicting the imminent demise of the personal computer, but several companies were demonstrating a new breed of devices sometimes known as “Internet appliances.”
At heart these machines are, of course, computers. Each has a screen, keyboard and plenty of microprocessors. But they don’t behave like the computers most of us have on our desks. They’re typically cheaper, less complicated to use and easier to set up. And unlike today’s Windows and Macintosh PCs, they are not multi-function devices designed to run off-the-shelf software. Instead, they do one simple thing. They connect you to the Internet or, in the case of business systems, to an internal corporate network.
Until very recently, such simple machines would have been scoffed at by the technology insiders that populate Comdex. Being able to get information from the Web and send e-mail is fine, but there are many other things people need to do with computing devices.
What is changing, however, is that the Internet is becoming a computing platform. The Internet is no longer just a place where you get your e-mail and news or make your travel arrangements. It’s an environment that, over time, will enable you to run the same type of personal and business applications that now require a sophisticated PC. Sun and Microsoft, for example, have announced that they will offer online application suites that will enable people to use word processors, spreadsheets and other office programs via the Internet.
Part of this “appliance” trend is the proliferation of even simpler devices. The popular Palm Connected organizer is an example. Millions of people who used to rely on a desktop or laptop PC to maintain their schedule and address book are now carrying around these pocket-size personal organizers. Some--including those who have a Palm VII with its built-in wireless modem--are relying on them for e-mail and even limited Web surfing. Many cell phones--once used just for talk--are now able to exchange e-mail, surf the Web and store your addresses and phone numbers. Such phones, in a sense, are becoming portable Internet appliances.
Even Microsoft--a stalwart proponent of the personal computer--is beginning to acknowledge the value of these devices. As Bill Gates reminded the crowd in his keynote address, Microsoft this year changed its mission statement from “a computer on every desk and in every home” to “any time, any place, any device.”
To that end, Gates announced that Microsoft has been working with Compaq and other hardware manufacturers to deploy what is being called an “MSN-based Web Companion.” The devices are designed with one thing in mind--to provide Internet access that lets you surf the Web and access your e-mail. The machines that Microsoft is pushing, naturally, run a version of Windows. It is not the Windows 98 or Windows 2000 versions, but a stripped-down Windows CE that is embedded on read-only memory chips built into these machines.
Vestel USA used Comdex to show off a working prototype of its MSN Web companion, which is expected to be available in the second quarter of 2000. The version I played with was a very attractive all-in-one unit with a built-in 15-inch tube. Instead of a mouse, there is an electronic touch pad on the keyboard. The company also plans to offer a version with a built-in flat-panel display. The company representative was a bit vague on the actual price--if any--because much depends on the deals they make with MSN and other Internet service providers that will offer these devices to their subscribers. Such terminals could wind up being given away with an online subscription, just as cell phones are often given to new subscribers.
Several companies showed off devices that don’t feature any version of Windows. The i-opener, from Netpliance (https://www.netpliance.com) is an easy-to-use e-mail and Web-browsing terminal that has its own unique look and feel. The user selects e-mail or one of several Web content channels from a simple menu or by pressing a dedicated function key. The sleek-looking device comes with a 10-inch flat-panel display and a keyboard with a built-in pointing device that you manipulate with the fingers of your right hand.
The machine is programmed to automatically log on six times a day to check for mail and update the news, weather, sports and financial Web pages. A light tells you if mail is waiting. You can also read and write incoming mail while offline and press the send button when you’re ready to send mail or if you wish to surf the Web. If you have kids, you can opt for filtered Internet service, but unlike using a PC with filtering software, it’s an all-or-nothing proposition. If you restrict your kids, you also restrict any adults using the machine.
One of the coolest-looking Internet devices at Comdex is the iBrow from Boundless Technologies (https://www.boundless.com). It has a detachable keyboard and a fancy-looking 10-inch flat-panel display. It also features a built-in 56K modem and two USB ports for printers or other peripherals. The product isn’t being marketed to end users but to companies that can give it away, sell it or rent it to their customers. The device has technology that allows companies that distribute the iBrow to display a “mini-portal that can’t be obscured by other windows,” says Boundless’ chief technical officer Kenneth East. In other words, the end user could become a captive customer for advertising and e-commerce.
Finally, for those of you who want the ultimate Internet appliance, Hewlett-Packard announced that it will be working with Swatch to develop Web watches. Samsung demonstrated a prototype of a voice-activated “watch phone” that lets you visit Web sites and check e-mail. The watch is expected to be available in the second quarter of 2000, but pricing hasn’t been determined. Dick Tracy would be proud.
Technology reports by Lawrence J. Magid can be heard at 1:48 p.m. weekdays on KNX-AM (1070). He can be reached at larry.magid@latimes.com. His Web site is at https://www.larrysworld.com.
