The software company is New Deal
***
I finally found the article about software that allows old PCs
to do more -- and could be good for home use and Internet Cafe type use -- even
if it doesn't enable the machine to work with other newer ones and the newer
software--
[BTW Ed - I was not thinking of older PCs for admin. use but
rather for students, the public and home use.]
************************
From PC World.com
New Life for Old PCs
New Life for Old PCs
NewDeal provides Web access for 'lagging-edge'
technology.
by Dorte Toft, IDG News Service
July 7, 1999, 5:10 p.m. PT
July 7, 1999, 5:10 p.m. PT
A $49.95 Web suite promises new, online life for pre-Internet
PCs, even those based on Intel 80286 CPUs that can't handle the newest versions
of Windows.
The NewDeal WebSuite provides e-mail, Web surfing, and chat
capabilities to older systems, as long as they have at least 10MB of hard disk
space and 640KB of memory, according to representatives of NewDeal. The software
includes a Web browser and other advanced Web applications such as instant chat
and Web page editing.
NewDeal also announced a new version of its NewDeal Office
suite, priced at $69.95. It has the same system requirements as the WebSuite and
has six applications, including a browser, word processor, and desktop manager.
A full-blown installation, consisting of NewDeal Office and
WebSuite, takes an additional 4MB of hard disk space, but no extra memory. The
DOS operating system is sufficient.
In a promotional offer, the company is selling both suites for
$94.95, says Susan White, NewDeal's vice president of marketing
communications.
Multitasking, Graphics on a 286
If you want Internet access and are reluctant to invest in a
Pentium-based PC, the software offers an alternative to recently announced
Internet devices, such as the $199 iToaster from Microworkz.com.
"We are targeting the biggest market of all, the used PC
market," says Clive Smith, president and founder of NewDeal. "This market will
emerge just as a used car market. Previously, the old PCs were not interesting
for people to buy because all the new ways of using the PC couldn't be employed.
That will change."
Analysts estimate that between 30 million and 60 million
so-called pre-Pentium machines are still around. Most of them are 486 machines,
followed by 386, according to Smith.
The NewDeal software has a Windows-like graphical user
interface. The technology was licensed from Geoworks, which specializes in
ultra-slim software. Smith was formerly a Geoworks executive.
NewDeal's files can be used by Windows applications, and
NewDeal's applications can read files saved by Windows programs. The NewDeal
environment is modern multitasking, fully multi-threaded software, according to
Smith. "We can do more on a 386 than was ever done, because of our technology
architecture," he says.
Serving Low-Tech, Low Cash
NewDeal is targeting schools, nonprofit groups, and "any
organization that is resource-constrained," Smith says. Individuals can buy the
software on the Internet or from resellers. New Deal's resellers include
refurbishing companies, which handle donated equipment from companies and
government organizations.
"We want to make sure that nobody is left behind. Therefore,
we specialize in leading-edge software for lagging-edge technology," Smith says.
"And even a Pentium III will be lagging-edge at some time."
Smith says NewDeal wants to help schools provide a PC for
every student. Currently, U.S. schools provide 8.4 million computers for 51
million pupils in primary and secondary schools.
The company is not targeting corporations, partly to avoid a
head-to-head contest with Microsoft. But NewDeal's price policy could be
tempting for a corporate technology manager with a tight budget--the company
charges $950 for a license covering an unlimited number of users of NewDeal
Office, and $350 for WebSuite.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Kranz" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Winona Online Democracy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2000 8:17 AM
Subject: Re: [Winona] Follow Up On Digital
Divide
>
> Craig,
>
> Perhaps you're thinking of Vega Technologies "Buddy". It allows you to hook
> up several older PCs to one newer PC (actually just the keyboard, screen, &
> mouse of the older PC). The older PCs then share the processing power and
> software (as well as Internet connection) of the newer PC. I think it costs
> about $150 per older PC. There are a few other similar products by other
> companies that do the same thing.
>
> You can find them at: http://www.vegatechnologies.com/buddy.htm if you want
> more info. I know some of the people at Dakota school were looking into
> this, I'm not sure if they ever went ahead with it.
>
> -Steve
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Craig Brooks" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2000 6:49 AM
> Subject: Re: [Winona] Follow Up On Digital Divide
>
>
> > [Winona Online Democracy]
> >
> > I read about software now available that allows an older PC to be used
> > for as a web browser, email and basic pc applications. I will search
> > for the name, etc. and post it when I find it. Whether it's schools
> > or the "have-nots" - this shows that an older PC is not necessarily
> > junk.
