February 24, 1997
Java to the Rescue
By Bob O'Donnell
They call it Project Rescue. I call it a great idea. The object of my fascination is a
piece of software that can turn any lowly DOS machine, even 486SX-25s with 4MB of RAM,
into a modern, useful computer capable of surfing the World Wide Web and running the
ever-increasing number of real Java applications in a multithreaded, multitasking,
graphical environment.
The product, being developed by the JavaSoft
division of Sun, is a version of the JavaOS that runs on top of
DOS. Scheduled to be officially unveiled at the JavaOne developer's conference, which will
be held in San Francisco, in early April but sneak previewed at the recent Demo '97 show,
in Indian Wells, Calif., I found the product, which is code-named Project Rescue, to be
one of the hidden gems at the show.
The basic idea behind the product is simple but compelling. As an IS manager, you're
undoubtedly interested in at least exploring the notion of the network computer, but you
may not be sure what the best way to do that is. Do you really want to invest in new
hardware devices, even at prices less than $800, just to see how this works?
At the same time, you probably also have a closet or two full of older, unused PCs.
Wouldn't it be nice to be able to turn those old PCs into useful devices, without any
hardware investment whatsoever and give this NC concept a try?
JavaSoft's answer is a sub-$100 piece of software that turns any PC into an NC. You
install the JavaOS for DOS, or whatever they decide to call it, on your old machine, type
"java" at the C:\ prompt, and you're launched into a familiar, graphical
windowing environment where you can connect to servers and the Internet via TCP/IP and run
Java applications natively.
I think the product could make the NC concept a lot more palatable to IS managers
because it allows them to completely leverage their existing hardware investments and add
new functionality with minimal cost. In fact, it goes beyond that by actually adding value
to equipment that may have already been written off, both financially and practically, as
essentially worthless. Although the Citrix ICA clients
do offer somewhat similar benefits for running Windows-based applications, many newer
custom development efforts are being done in Java to solve the cross-platform issues that
many IS shops face.
By bundling an NC inside the familiar environment of a PC, which obviously includes
local storage, the product could even help address some of the general concerns
individuals have voiced about the NC concept, including the increased reliance on servers
and the possibility of network clogging.
In addition, with the substantial investments being made by Lotus, Corel
and other major ISVs into developing Java applications, the possibility of creating a
real, viable alternative to the Microsoft monopoly grows ever stronger. If ISVs, or
JavaSoft itself, can provide robust POP3-compliant e-mail, along with seamless reading and
writing of productivity application file formats (specifically Microsoft Office), the
JavaOS might stand a real chance of breaking through into the corporate market.
Many questions, including critical concerns about performance and reliability, still
remain. But the concept is undeniably appealing, and it could eventually make a major
impact on corporate desktops. We'll have to wait and see if the "rescue" proves
to be a success.
©
Copyright 1997, by InfoWorld Publishing Corp., a
subsidiary of IDG Communications, Inc. Reprinted from InfoWorld,
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