From: Jim Choate <ravage@einstein.ssz.com>
Date: Tue, 28 Nov 1995 11:01:56 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: The future will be easy to use (fwd)
Message-ID: <199511280254.UAA00156@einstein.ssz.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text



Forwarded message:

> Subject: Re: The future will be easy to use
> From: dlv@bwalk.dm.com (Dr. Dimitri Vulis)
> Date: Mon, 27 Nov 95 21:28:05 EST
> 
> One thing that David didn't mention is security add-ons to the "network
> computers" that are supposed to be rolled out within the next few months --
> the successors to X terminals, $500 boxes with a good screen/sound,
> cheap cpu, and a few megs of ram and flash memory to hold a web browser.
> I expect some folks to make a good living by writing add-ons (including
> crypto add-ons) to these gizmos.
> 

Don't hold your breath. The current market surveys say that there is no
market for them. Check out this weeks PC Week or Mac Week, as they both
have several articles discussing this. Bottem line is that the under $1000
computer seems to have no future either in industry or the home.

Realisticaly, who in their right mind would buy a diskless workstation to
connect to Internet? You certainly wouldn't do crypto on it because it has
to boot from somewhere else and this leaves all kinds of security holes.
Also, there is the fact that at the current time there are no generaly
useable apps on Internet beyond the web and most companies would rather have
their employees doeing something more productive than hanging ten.

Anyone who bases their business on this technology won't have a business.

Take care.

                                         Jim Choate
                                         CyberTects
                                         ravage@einstein.ssz.com