The Mac NC, sometimes referred to as the Macintosh NC, was a network
thin client that was expected to be released by
Apple by April 1998. The device was widely promoted by then-Apple director
Larry Ellison, apparently as part of his
Oracle
An oracle is a person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. As such, it is a form of divination.
Description
The word '' ...
Network Computer initiative. The Mac NC was ultimately never released, although key components of its technology were inherited by the original
iMac, which was released in August 1998.
History
On May 21, 1996, Oracle Corporation, along with 30 hardware and software vendors, announced an intent to build computers that are designed around the ''network computer platform.''
The idea was to design technology based on a
profile that included
diskless computers, commonly coded applications using languages such as
Java, and interface with the internet using common software such as
Netscape Navigator.
In May 1996, Apple became a partner in the network computing effort, and used the
Apple Pippin platform as its implementation.
On July 9, 1997,
Gil Amelio
Gilbert Frank Amelio (born March 1, 1943) is an American technology executive. Amelio worked at Bell Labs, Fairchild Semiconductor, and the semiconductor division of Rockwell International, and was also the CEO of National Semiconductor and Ap ...
was ousted as CEO of Apple by the board of directors.
Steve Jobs
Steven Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American entrepreneur, industrial designer, media proprietor, and investor. He was the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple; the chairman and majority shareholder of Pixar; a ...
stepped in as the interim CEO, to begin a critical restructuring of the company's product line. He would eventually become CEO and served in that position until August 2011, shortly before his death.
Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation headquartered in Austin, Texas. In 2020, Oracle was the third-largest software company in the world by revenue and market capitalization. The company sells da ...
CEO and Apple board member
Larry Ellison announced in December 1997, while talking to the Harvard Computer Society, that Apple would release a product called the Macintosh NC in April 1998. He suggested the network computer would have a "near-300 MHz" processor and a 17-inch screen, and would sell for less than US$1,000 (with a
hard disk
A hard disk drive (HDD), hard disk, hard drive, or fixed disk is an electro-mechanical data storage device that stores and retrieves digital data using magnetic storage with one or more rigid rapidly rotating platters coated with magnet ...
drive available as an extra costing an additional $100).
Steve Jobs did not agree, stating, "Unfortunately,
llisonis pretty far off base" in an e-mail. "Maybe he is trying to deflect interest from what we are really doing."
Apple Prototype
/ref> While at Oracle, Ellison had overseen the development of a business alliance that produced a number of Network Computer-branded devices from companies such as Sun and IBM. Apple never manufactured any devices under the Oracle alliance, but did endorse the Network Computer Reference Profile
Network Computer Reference Profile (NC reference profile, NCRP) was a specification for a network computer put forward by Oracle Corporation, endorsed by Sun Microsystems, IBM, Apple Computer, and Netscape, and finalized in 1996.
NC1
The first v ...
.
Steve Jobs had already stopped all Macintosh clone efforts, which would shut down the Apple Pippin concept and any prospects of the Mac NC.
Ultimately the technology shipped as NetBoot with the release of Mac OS X Server 1.0 in January 1999.
References
External links
Birth of the iMac
article at The Mac Observer
Apple Inc. hardware
Macintosh platform
Network computer (brand)
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