New Internet Computer

The New Internet Computer (NIC) was a Linux-based internet appliance released July 6, 2000 by Larry Ellison and Gina Smith's New Internet Computer Company. The system (without a monitor) sold for US$199.^[1][2][3]

New Internet Computer (NIC)

Manufacturer	New Internet Computer Company
Type	Internet Appliance
Release date	July 6, 2000; 24 years ago (2000-07-06)
Introductory price	$199[1]
Discontinued	June 2003 (2003-06)
Units sold	Less than 50,000
Operating system	Linux
CPU	266 MHz Cyrix MII
Memory	64 MB of RAM
Storage	4 MB of flash memory
Connectivity	10 MBps Ethernet 56K Modem Two USB 1.1 ports
Power	60 Watt Power Supply
Online services	NetZero

The NIC boots from a CD-ROM with a custom Linux distribution developed by Wim Coekaerts. It has no hard drive and no way to install additional software.^[1] The system's only non-volatile storage is 4 MB of flash memory.

Ellison planned to sell 5 million units the first year, but fewer than 50,000 units were sold. The company shut its doors in June 2003. PC World ranked the NIC as the ninth worst PC of all time.^[1]