1-- . . 126 A e Michigan Daily -We&- d, etc. Magazine Thur y, February 24, 2000 . ....-.t-.. s W WEBWATCH Who needs a computer to surf the web? my? TOO A I Yswr Weekend, Etc. Editor A year ago, the only way to access email was either via an early hand- held with e-mail access or a full fledged comptuer. For surfing the Internet, the only means of browsing was with a full-fledged computer. As modern technologies have matured, such hybrid products have developed, blurring the lines between computer and computer companion, and eventually creating something altogether different. Most personal computers are used primarily for office productivity and surfing the Internet. It is not often that a computer necessary for office productivity does not require some form of Internet access. The reverse is not always true. A new type of device, something not quite a full comptuer and yet Internet capable, was born. There are a myriad of manufactur- ers, from the big PC companies to startups developing this new brand Internet devices. Companies such as Acer, Compaq and Vestel are using the Microsoft Web Companion sys- tem, which runs Windows CE and uses the Microsoft Network (MSN) as its Internet Service Provider. Several firms are going the non- Microsoft route - the Netpliance I- Opener is based on the QNX Realtime operating system, Simpliance eMailBox is based on the AppForge OS and Boundless Technologies' iBrow is using vxWorks under the hood. The prices for these products are similarly non-traditional. Boundless Technologies' iBrow is giving their product away for free. Branding agreements made with ISPs, online trading services and even banks allow Boundless to distribute the iBrow free to partners' clients. Sites using iBrow get their appliances preset to go to their pages and using their propietary software further branding the products to their customers. Other manufacturers plan on sell- ing their appliances and then charg- ing monthly fees for Internet ser- vices. For example the eMailBox costs $99, plus $8 per month for Internet access. Netpliance, the first company with a Internet appliance with mass distribution, is selling their I-Opener for $299, plus access for $21.95 a month. A deal recently inked with Circuit City allows users to buy the device for a hundred dol- lars less. All of these will be devices are slick, small and efficient. They are being designed to boot-up instantly and go into sleep mode when not in use, making them immediately avail- able. Most systems will be delivered preconfigured with the user's e-mail . . blah. blah. SA ,. t - a l11f .,. W > "+ Courtesy of Netphance The I-Opener is the first and most widely distributed of the new web devices. Running on the Windows CE platform, it provides Internet access at a low price. address and dial-up number, making installation of the devices even easier to perform than even the iMac. These products are obviously not full-featured computers, projected to serve as devices in libraries, kitchens, classrooms and other places where only Internet access and not a full fledged computer is needed. Of course, with the increase of Internet applications and online storage, a device with Internet access might be all a standard computer user requires. There is apparently a growing market for these products. Based on current market trends, IDC, a tech- nology research firm, predicts that over 50 million devices will be sold by 2002. Manufacturers are produc- ing their products as quickly as pos- sible in hopes to build their brands quickly and therefore mold the mar- kets favorably to their products. Despite the hype surrounding these new products, traditional PCs are by no means deal. According to IDC the traditional PC market grew by over 50 percent in the summer of 1999. The number of U.S. homes with PCs exceeded 50 percent last year, with approximately 25 percent of those homes, owning at least two computers. Like handheld devices and Internet-enabled phones, these Internet devices are just another means to get people connected to the net in the new millenium. Courtesy of Psion The Psion Revo is a later stage paltop device. It has organizational features such as a calendar and contact list and is also equiped to send and receive e-mail. DJ GRAD Continued from Page 3B Recloose's unwillingness to compro- mise his desires has brought him down a strange road few students have the courage to travel. Many envy the oppor- tunities bestowed upon University grads, who often get first dibs on many of the best jobs in the country, but some students always pass up these opportu- nities in their search for self-fulfill- ... ,....."b . .....,. _ _ _ _ ment. In the case of Recloose, this meant courageously attempting to make a sincere career as a musician, true to his craft rather than the aims of com- merce. "I'm on this seesaw right now,' Recloose said in conclusion. "I'm wanting to think that I can do this, but if the money doesn't pick up, at some point I'm going to have to figure something out. I wentto Michigan, you know? I have a degree, and I'm still here chasing my dream. I'm hav- ing good results, I think, but there's a point where you gotta survive, too. Being a starving artist is only cool up to a point. You can only romanticize it so much. It would be great if I could make this my livelihood, and in the future keep making music, making it more of a career." Three and a half years after graduat- ing, the young artist may still struggle with his decision to pass up a secure path through life with ample spending money, a nice car and a house in the suburbs with white picket fences and rose bushes, but one cannot deny his remarkable accomplishments. No mat- ter the path his life may head in the future, Recloose will at least never regret compromising his dreams for the dollar bill. Say HeLLO. Express an opiNion. Catch up with friends .'/ With FReE e-mail, online photo albums, meSSage Boards, instant meSsaging, personal weB-CaMs and more at Pick a figHt. Co'llegeC CollegeClub.com. Got SOmEThIng to say? LOG on! a No porcupines, living, dead or othewise, were harmed in the creation of this advertisement. 02000 CollegeClub.com A ~ C~jjx 'A: A CC