Internet PC’s: Next Wave or Nonsense? Call them what you will: Internet appliances. Network terminals. The whole computer industry is abuzz over proposals for ultra low-cost devices that let you surf the net, shop, and bank from home. However many sceptics abound saying they are merely the most recent fad alternative to the traditional PC. I would agree, saying that where the cost ($300-800) and the ease of use may be appealing, the real-world applications limit these machines so-much that they will be obsolete in ten years, much like thSo don’t get your
Pentium ready for the rummage sale just yet. Investment is pouring into surfboxes right now because average people may turn out to prefer single-function devices. Says Steven McAllister, vice president of sales and marketing for Bandi: “[these systems will] open up the web… to a huge market that either couldn’t afford a PC or didn’t want to be a hobbyist. But nobody’s sure customers really want them.”
