Operating Systems: Concurrent and Distributed Software Design

7.3. Personal computing

The price/performance ratio of small computers has led to their widespread use as personal and small-business systems. Network access for electronic mail and other internet access such as the World Wide Web has become increasingly popular outside professional computing laboratories and offices. The computer companies are now looking to the profits that may be made from widespread ubiquitous computing, home area networks and the like.

It is interesting to see the trade-offs which were explored for the computing workplace revisited for the home environment. In the mid 1990s the 'network computer' white paper by Oracle advocated that the end system should be as inexpensive and simple to use as possible and SUN's Javastation ...