09/08/97 THE THINNEST WEB SERVER AROUND

THE THINNEST WEB SERVER AROUND

THE MARKET POTENTIAL FOR INTERNET APPLIANCES--simple, cheap computers that link users to the Web--has set off a scramble by startups such as Diba Inc. and industry heavyweights such as Compaq Computer Corp. So far, the focus has been on producing ''thin clients,'' stripped-down devices that sit on a desk at work or a countertop at home and dial into a central computer, or server, that does all the heavy lifting. But now, the race is on to produce ''thin servers''--streamlined computers that specialize in feeding content onto the Web.
Data General Corp. is rolling out one of the first thin servers next month. Dubbed SiteStak, it will cost $4,700 to $7,900 and take aim at general-purpose servers costing $20,000 to $30,000 that now deliver much of the Web's content. Data General's designers took the ''thin server'' label seriously, stripping out extraneous hardware such as a keyboard and monitor, along with unnecessary software to drive printers, CD-ROMs, and the like. At about 1.5 inches tall, SiteStak is less than one-fourth the height of most servers. It comes with 4 gigabytes of memory and an embedded operating system, and it can serve up about 500 Web pages for people to read each second.
By Paul C. Judge
EDITED BY PETER ELSTROM