NC

This technical-sounding term actually describes a consumer product that could find a mass market. In early 1996, Larry Ellison, CEO of database developer Oracle, called for the development of a less than $500 computing device, or "thin client," that could connect to the Internet. In theory, these non-PCs would use the Internet as a vast storage site for data and applications. While initially targeted as an inexpensive client for corporate networks, Ellison also predicted that the NC would become a common appliance in homes. By the middle of 1996, several companies--including IBM and Compaq--had announced plans for NCs, though not yet at the $500 price point.