Toshiba wards off NC with Java spell

Operating systems Java OS could be key to keeping PC foothold.

Toshiba has announced an operating system designed to run Java applications, which it says could help PCs ward off the threat of the network computer (NC).

The JexeOS, which is tailored for sub-$700 Intel-based PCs, runs a graphical interface written in Java on top of a newly developed kernel.

Toshiba will offer the OS to OEMs from mid-1998, but it has not yet decided whether to license it for its own PCs, which are largely sold through resellers.

Junya Mizuno, general manager of the JexeOS group, said the OS will target the office. It will be able to compete with Microsoft Windows and NC-type devices, by running Java applications faster and supporting low-cost industry standard hardware.

The system requires a 100MHz Pentium PC with 16Mb Ram. Like NC-type devices, it is designed to run applications written in pure Java. But unlike NCs, JexeOS systems will store Java applications locally and compile them into native x86 code. This will lead to better performance, said Mizuno, since it avoids lengthy download times and Just In Time compile times for frequently used Java applications.

Mizuno admitted that Java performance under JexeOS is not yet on a par with Windows 95 in graphics-intensive applications. 'We now use a VGA driver, while Windows uses special drivers for specific video boards,' he said.

JexeOS will probably not be sold shrinkwrapped, but bundled by PC manufacturers.

Toshiba will develop some graphics board drivers, but expects OEMs to write their own for specific applications. OEMs will also be able to add Java application suites and change the interface, said Mizuno.

Toshiba is targeting both traditional PC manufacturers and companies from the NC space. OEMs will pay $65, with volume discounts available.

The company expects the first products with the OS to ship to customers in the second quarter of 1998.

Toshiba is also launching a Java compiler for Windows 95 and NT. Called JexeWare, it is based on compiler technology from Supercede. Like JexeOS, it will compile often used Java applications once. The product will be priced at $49.