Oracle Plans Summer Release for Net PC

At the Comdex computer trade show in Las Vegas, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison announced that his company will release a $500 diskless PC for connecting to the Net.

Ellison says the new product will use a high-speed asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) Net connection in place of desktop storage. Instead of installing software on the device, users will download applications and system upgrades directly from the Net.

Other companies, including IBM and Toshiba, say they are working on similar products. With a product demo slated for February, however, Oracle may have a lead over its competitors in bringing the Net to the mass market.