network PC's

[Millard Johnson]

David Atkins asked:
> Any one with any ideas on hiding the directory contents of a PC's hard
> drive from Netscape?  Deleted stuff...
I would like to change, or start a new thread, related
to network PC's.  Please ignore if this has already been
discussed on this list.

PORTALS has had 2 years of successful experience loading
NETBSD UNIX operating system and Xwindows software onto
Intel PC's, adding some PERL scripts to make them into
public Internet terminals.  The PERL scripts mostly
limit UNIX functionality and provide an on screen
RETURN button so that any user, walking up a hopelessly
botched screen display, can get back to the home page.  
It works quite well.

Unfortunately, networked PC's have high maintenance - 
estimated at $1200 per year per PC in corporate 
environment.  We, in Indiana, have just purchased 
(thank you LSCA and Indiana state legislature) 
more than 300 PC's for use in smaller
public libraries that are ill prepared to maintain the
technology.  The network PC at about $700 (plus monitor)
without hardrive, Novel network, even a fan to break,
would seem to be a great solution for a public Internet
terminal.  It would have substantially lower purchase
and very low maintenance.  Has any library investigated
the network PC for public Internet access?
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Millard F. Johnson zendog at incolsa.palni.edu
"I would rather risk failure than achieve it without risk"
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