FAQ
- Where's the official FAQ?
- The official NIC FAQ is found on thinknic.com.
- Is there a list to talk about the NIC?
- (26 Jul 2000) There's an eGroups list called thinknic to discuss the NIC. Additionally, the thinknic-tech list has been created to discuss technical issues.
- When will the NIC be available?
- (31 Jul 2000) The NIC can be ordered from thinknic.com right now. Delivery time is estimated at 2-3 weeks. As of July 31st, orders up to #11302 have been shipped.
- Is Oracle making the NIC?
- (26 Jul 2000) Sort of. Oracle CEO Larry Ellison founded the New Internet Computer Company with Gina Smith, the company's CEO, in January, and Oracle employees are involved in its development. Reports aren't terribly clear about ownership of NICC, but Ellison himself certainly has a stake, and it's a fair assumption that Oracle does as well.
- Isn't that the same logo as the NC had?
- Yep. Sure is. The Network Computer, which Ellison pushed back in 1995, used the same logo.
- What happened to that company?
- They're now known as Liberate Technologies, and are a major player in the set-top box market. AOL TV, among others, is based on the Liberate platform.
- What size is it?
- (11 August 2000) The case measurements are 2.25" x 11" x 10" (H x W x D).
- Are the insides hackable?
- (26 Jul 2000) There is an accessible IDE header onboard. There are no expansion slots (PCI, ISA). This is all we know so far.
- What's on the operating system CD?
- (26 Jul 2000) So far, we know from the thinknic.com site that it has the following software:
- Linux 2.2.15
- the X Window System (XFree86-3.3.6?)
- Netscape Communicator 4.73
- Citrix WinFrame (ICA) Client
(1 August 2000) In addition, there is an IRC client, the mpg123 command-line MP3 player, and 8 games. Although there is no shell available to the user, it is possible to get that shell with a minor tweak. (More on that to come.)
A complete listing of the contents of the CD is here. (Thanks to Seth Cohn.) - Where do I save my files?
- (26 Jul 2000) Not anywhere local. The flash partition on the device is only to store small bits of information such as bookmarks and preferences. Any other file storage is to be done using remote file services such as iDrive and X:drive. Both services work with the NIC (and its mildly modified version of Netscape) out of the box.
- What about other file sharing methods (SMB, NFS, WebDAV, etc.)?
- (26 Jul 2000) There is "work in progress" on SMB and NFS, along with other "seamless" remote storage features. However, due to caching and local storage issues, WebDAV may not be doable.