NC

Short for network computer. Oracle Corp. CEO Larry Ellison popularized this term for a simple device connected to the Internet that can do many tasks associated with PCs, but for a fraction of the cost. A good review as of the end of 1996 is provided in Information Week , November 18, 1996, pp. 14-16. For interactive computing on the web, see Distributed Network Computing .

A type of network computer designed to execute Java programs locally. NCs do not contain any storage devices, so they must be connected to a network server that holds the data to be processed. However, unlike thin clients and Windows terminals, NCs do have a microprocessor so that they can execute programs locally.