Eleven of the world's leading computer hardware and software makers have agreed on a common set of standards for building mobile network computers, lightweight mobile devices with easy access to the Internet or corporate networks, the firms announced June 23.
The move appears aimed at challenging Net PCs, stripped down personal computers with strengthened network functions that have been promoted by Microsoft Corp. The mobile NCs, which are similar to network computers, are fully capable network computers with roaming functions, and their specifications are drawn up based on the NC standards that were agreed last year among five companies, including IBM Corp. and Oracle Corp.
NCs are also stripped down low-cost terminals designed to be used with heavy dependence on networks, but unlike Net PCs, most of them are based on the Unix operating system and do not have a hard disk to store memory. The companies that participated in drawing up the standards for the mobile NC are Apple Computer Co., Fujitsu Ltd., Hitachi Ltd., IBM Corp., Lotus Development Corp., Mitsubishi Electric Corp., Netscape Communications Corp., Nokia Mobile Phones, Network Computer Inc., Sun Microsystems Corp. and Toshiba Corp.