It's Raining Net Appliances, but Where?

Appliances Everywhere

Internet appliances surfaced in all sorts of locations at the show. The Home RF Consortium's booth, for example, had a Cassiopeia Fiva pen tablet--a device currently sold exclusively in vertical markets, but expected to migrate to consumer outlets soon--outfitted with a wireless PC Card antenna. Oracle Chair and Chief Executive Larry Ellison, in his Comdex keynote, said Oracle and Compaq are collaborating on an Internet appliance that should be available by year's end.

The biggest collection of devices, however, was at an offsite press event dedicated to the category. The two dozen or so vendors at Information Appliance Press 2000 ranged from giants like America Online and Gateway, which showed their newly announced Internet appliance, to Aqcess Technologies, which showed its latest tablet, the QBE Vivo.

Intel was there with its Dot.Station, a Linux-based appliance announced at PC Expo back in June. Cidco showed new versions of its MailStation devices, including one that will add Web browsing capability to the existing e-mail service.

Notably missing in action was Netpliance, which days before the show said it would cease selling its $299 I-Opener appliance and instead license its design to larger companies such as AT&T. Several vendors said Netpliance had never been able to come up with a viable business plan for its product.

But neither the I-Opener's failure nor Virgin Entertainment's decision to abandon its VirginConnect WebPlayer program seemed to put a damper on the enthusiasm of the Internet appliance proselytizers. And given the sheer volume of Net appliance activity at Comdex, it seems inevitable that some will eventually catch on, especially if components such as LCD panels get cheap enough to make them affordable as second or third devices in the home.