Acorn Network Computer

Acorn Network Computer

Acorn NetStation NC
Developer	Acorn Computers, Oracle
Manufacturer	Acorn Computers
Operating system	NCOS on 4096k ROM)
CPU	ARM 7500FE processor at 40 MHz; approx 35.9 MIPS
Memory	4096k 12 MHz RAM

The Acorn Network Computer was a network computer (a type of thin client) designed and manufactured by Acorn Computers Ltd. It was the implementation of the Network Computer Reference Profile that Oracle Corporation commissioned Acorn to specify for network computers (for more detail on the history, see Acorn's Network Computer). Sophie Wilson of Acorn led the effort. It was launched in August 1996.

The NCOS operating system used in this first implementation was based on RISC OS and ran on ARM hardware. Manufacturing obligations were achieved through a contract with Fujitsu subsidiary D2D.

In 1997, Acorn offered its designs at no cost to licensees of RISC OS.

The NetStation was available in two versions, one with a modem for home use via a television, and a version with an Ethernet card for use in businesses and schools with VGA monitors and an on-site BSD Unix fileserver based on RiscBSD, an early ARM port of NetBSD. Both versions were upgradable, as the modem and Ethernet cards were replaceable "podules" (Acorn-format Eurocards). The home version was trialled in 1997/98 in conjunction with BT.

The Home NC and Corporate NC both used the ARM 7500FE and supported PAL, NTSC and SVGA displays. They had identical specifications. The Office NC used a StrongARM SA-110 200MHz processor. The ARM7500-based DeskLite was launched in 1998.