The Emergence of Net-Centric Computing : Network Computers, Internet Appliances and Connected PC's

Presents the challenges facing the net-centric computing industry, including security, testing, maintenance, and reliability. The first section examines the first-generation of net-centric computing that depends on links to more powerful servers on the Internet and Intranet for full functionality. The second section evaluates hardware and software building blocks, the available alternatives, and the necessary technical choices. Section three discusses the need for increased reliability on the desktop, network computer and Internet appliance, servers, routers, and switches. The final section considers the emergence of multimedia on the Internet and World Wide Web, the new architectural choices that engineers will have to make, and the need for a paradigm shift from a graphical to a network user interface. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.