Vendors Net Navigation Tools To Go

The Age

Monday October 17, 1994

Jason Romney

THE INFORMATION revolution is spurring the big software producers to scramble after Internet support in their operating systems.

For example, Novell will offer a program called Corsair, which is expected to provide Internet access for NetWare users. Another Novell program, Ferret, will offer users the ability to click a mouse on familiar symbols such as books or buildings in a simulated city to call up data from inside their own company or over external networks.

Why do the makers of operating systems bother with the Internet? Well, when IBM puts numerous Internet connectivity tools into the next version of OS/2 (Warp), the software will offer navigation via pre- configured icons to popular Internet locations, probably through IBM's Global Network. These tools will provide the means to establish a SLIP connection as well as give the user an integrated suite of Internet optimised software for e-mail, news group readings, gopher, FTP, WWW and Telnet clients.

The IBM Global Network is an international voice/data network, use of which will undoubtedly cost money. Therein lies the rub. You will buy the hardware and software navigation tools relatively inexpensively, but online time will still be a costly business.

The same ``inexpensive hardware, expensive online time" model will likely apply increasingly to Apple's long-awaited eWorld (a Macintosh oriented on-line virtual community) and NewtonMail.

The eWorld service is planned to be launched in the United Kingdom this month, with our own launch not far off.

So that is the trend. If you are interested in seeing how existing PC manufacturers are setting up Internet navigation facilities (access to which is built into the machines they sell from the outset), jack into the United States PC assembler and reseller firm, PC Express's ExpressNet at http://www.pcxpress.com:8086/.

This leads you to impressive sites such as the Planet Earth Home Page, at: (http://white.nosc.mil/future-unix.html) and many others that provide complex, good-looking graphics to represent a wealth of information, software and well-constructed Internet tours.

PC Express claims to be the first PC manufacturer and seller to ``bundle full, easy-to-use Internet access" with its systems. Their further step, to provide all PC users on the Internet with ``an icon- based navigational tool to PC Internet resources", has been particularly well implemented.

You can get comprehensive information about PC Express and its partner in the Internet tour enterprise, Netcom, at http://www.pcxpress.com:8086/about/about.html.