What is an Internet Appliance?
An Internet appliance is an electronic device through which one can perform various online activities. Common examples of these activities include Web surfing, emailing and online gaming. Sometimes an Internet appliance may even have extraneous features that can be used without being connected to the Internet, such as an offline datebook. However, if a system offers telephony (e.g., telecommunications) or advanced computing capabilities, it is generally not considered an Internet appliance. Other terms associated with an Internet appliance include: information appliance, net appliance or smart appliance. These terms tend to be especially common in more technical writing, though sometimes they can also appear in regular diction. This is especially the case with the term smart appliance, though sometimes it may get confused with computerized appliances that do not connect to the Internet. Regardless of the name used, all Internet appliances tend to be structured in a similar manner. Earl
Internet Appliance – (a.k.a. Information Appliance, Intelligent Appliance, Net Appliance, Net Device) – These include intelligent kitchen appliances, intelligent phones, portable media devices, PDAs, home networked computers and other devices connected to the Internet so people can access and operate home equipment from a distance. Teletext systems, (particularly MINITEL) often use Internet Appliances.
While a toaster running Linux could be an Internet Appliance, this isn’t the right track to be on. An Internet Appliance is a system in which the primary function is to put someone on the Internet. In ham radio, we have the term appliance operator which refers to a ham who doesn’t really know anything about the technology, but just uses a radio to talk to people. An Internet Appliance is the equivalent tool that allows someone with no knowledge of Internet technology or computers to get on the Internet. How does this differ from a computer system purchased primarily to connect someone to the Internet? This difference will grow as Internet Appliances (IA) evolve, but even today, they are different. An IA is not a general-purpose computer. It is designed specifically for connecting to the Internet. The software is likely in ROM (read-only memory) rather than on a disk. That software is probably only a pared-down version of an operating system and a web browser. It will, out of the box, t
