This document was posted monthly to the following newsgroups:
This FAQ contains information and answers to common questions about both Network Computers and the comp.sys.net-computer.* usenet newsgroups. The latest version of this FAQ is also available in text format in any of the above newsgroups.
With appropriate software some old PCs could be given a new lease of life and transformed into a NC like device, rather than being thrown away.
Some of the general areas which the areas of Network Computers can be divided into are:
Many people, especially the press, seem to confuse the idea of Network Computers with that of dumb terminals, referring to NCs as "dumbed down" computers. This is not true, unlike dumb terminals which simply display the output of a program running on a server elsewhere on the network, Network Computers actually do local processing and are much closer to PCs than to dumb terminals.
Some Network Computers however do support protocols, such as X Window and ICA, which allow them to be used as dumb terminals to display the output of a program running on a server in additional to programs running locally, so that they are backwards compatible.
Some set top boxes (STBs) are also Network Computers and provide access to the Internet as well as their usual functions, other STBs are not Network Computers.
Details can be found at http://www.opennc.org/.
Additions include requirements for working with little or no network connectivity, power usage monitoring, minimal bandwidth use, and so on.
Details can be found at http://www.mncrs.org/.
MNCRS Mobile Network Computer Reference Specification, based on the
NCP but with additions unique to mobile application, see
section 9.
NC Network Computer.
NCI Network Computer, Inc. - Oracle's NC subsidiary.
NCOS Network Computer Operating System, NCOS1 is based on Acorn's
RISC OS, NCOS2 is based on NetBSD.
NCP Network Computer Profile, maintained by the Open Group it is
the successor to the NCRP, see section 8.
NCRP Network Computer Reference Profile, developed by Oracle etc for
the original NC, now the NCP maintained by the Open group.
PDA Personal Digital Assistant.
STB Set Top Box, a device which sits on or under a TV and is used
to decode signals, access a network or services, etc.
The NC news service is also available in Russian, along with additional information about Acorn's NCs, at http://www.ncns.com/ru/, and in German at http://www.ncns.com/de/.
|
DLT Solutions http://www.dlt.com/ 1.888.345.4NCI |
NCI's distributor supplies NCI "Network in a Box" 2, 10, or 20 unit packages and other NCI hardware and software. |
| Oregan Networks http://www.oregan.net/ 44.1530.563311 | UK based company supplies ARM powered Proton Electric manufactured Network Computers, as well as their own server software. |
Individual users should be able to find a Network Computer in a local high street store, for example NetChannel claim their NCs are available nationally from the following companies:
The announcements group is moderated, see section 14 for details.
Information about new Network Computers, standards, exhibitions, content rich Network Computer related web sites, and so on are all candidates for announcements in comp.sys.net-computer.announce.
Unfortunately there will always be users who don't know what the newsgroup is actually for, and who don't bother to read this FAQ or the charters or even the newsgroups line before posting.
If you see an article in a comp.sys.net-computer.* newsgroup which has absolutely nothing to do with Network Computers you should under no circumstances reply, quote, or discuss it in the Network Computer newsgroups. Several articles saying why an article is off topic are just as annoying and off topic as the original article.
Instead you may like to e-mail a polite note to the person who posted the original article including this FAQ, explaining what the newsgroup they posted to is for. Someone who gets several copies of the FAQ is unlikely to post another totally irrelevant article.
You should not be rude or abusive when someone makes a simple mistake about where to post, however stupid that mistake may have been. Also don't attack people who are slightly off topic, this section only applies to "wildly off topic articles". "Spam" is also different matter, see section 16.
"Spam" is defined as multiple posts of identical articles to many newsgroups. If you see the same totally off topic message in all the Network Computer newsgroups and in other newsgroups you read the chances are it is spam.
Unlike people who post wildly off topic articles because they don't know what the group is for sending the FAQ to a spammer won't do any good, and the From: header is likely to be forged in spam anyway. Instead you should send a copy of the entire article which you think is spam, including all headers, to the administrators of the site which the spam was posted from. As with off topic posts never quote, reply to, or discuss spam in the Network Computer newsgroups.
For more information about usenet spam and junk e-mail and how to report it see the "Help! I've been Spammed! What do I do?" FAQ. Also see the network abuse clearing house at http://www.abuse.net/.
Although this group is intended primarily for announcements relating to Network Computers which comply with Network Computer Inc's standards, other posts which are closely related to the topic of NCs will also be accepted if the moderators believe they are relevant and will be of interest to readers.
Advertising is not permitted, unless the document contains information of interest to the intended audience of the newsgroup. For example an advert for a Network Computer exhibition or conference would be welcome.
Repeat postings are not not acceptable unless there has been a major change to the information contained, or the posting is an accepted regular posting like a FAQ.
This newsgroup will be moderated. Moderation policies: The moderators will accept any post which is in keeping with the above charter, and will NOT give more importance to announcements from any one company. Submissions which are clearly inappropriate will be rejected without a reason, any other marginal post will be returned to the sender with a note from the moderator explaining their decision.
Such discussions should be contained in this newsgroup, and should not take place in any other comp.sys.net-computer.* newsgroups.
Topics relating to the relative merits of Network Computers when compared to each other, or more likely to standard PCs or NetPCs should NOT be discussed in this group, but should be confined to the comp.sys.net-computer.advocacy group.
Advertising and announcements of any kind are not allowed in this newsgroup. If there is an advert or announcement relating to Network Computers then such a post should be directed to the moderated group comp.sys.net-computer.announce.
Binaries are not permitted. This group will be unmoderated.
There is a web site for this FAQ and everything else relating to the Network Computer newsgroups. It is available at http://www.wilts.net/nc/.
Copyright 1997, 1998, by James Sears
© Copyright 1997, 1998, by js@null.net