So much has been said about Java that it probably is lost on most people. Many hear the word Java and recollect pre-conceptions about the subject, be they positive or negative. Most are unaware that developments are taking place.
One of the most recent events, excluding disputes between the likes of Sun, Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard over the future of the Java environment, is the emergence of Java-based thin clients.
Sun began it all by offering the JavaStation network computer that runs the JavaOS system, an entirely Java-based operating system designed for NCs. Now, Sun is working on JavaOS for DOS PCs, making allowing obsolete PCs to become the equivalent of a JavaStation.
The JavaPC software is in beta development, with a preview available from Sun's Java developer's Web site at http:// developer.javasoft.com The final release is expected to sell for about US$100, and it is clear how this product offers a way to use hardware once thought obsolete.
It is possible to take a 486-based computer with 8 MB or 16 MB of memory that runs DOS and turn it into a full-featured network computer with a Web browser with full network connectivity.
The JavaPC environment runs on top of DOS, which provides such basics such as access to the hard disk and floppy disk, plus the display and basic network drivers.