LOS ANGELES -- America Online continued to roll out its "AOL Anywhere" strategy on Wednesday by announcing three thin-client devices for dedicated AOL surfing, built by PC-maker Gateway.
The joint development represents the first steps in the two companies' financial partnership, dating back to last fall when AOL made an $800 million investment in Gateway.
The three devices, announced at Internet World Spring 2000, will all run the Linux operating system under the hood and are instant-on, dedicated AOL-only machines designed to boot immediately and connect only to the ISP giant.
The user never sees Linux, nor can users run anything other than the custom AOL client, which uses the Gecko technology introduced Wednesday in the Netscape 6 browser.
The three units are not intended to be PC replacements.
"The No. 1 reason people buy PCs is to access the Internet," said Peter Ashkin, chief technology officer for Gateway in Irvine, California. "These will complement the PC and provide a small, simple device to access the Internet from anywhere in the home."
Two of the devices use LCD flat panels, while one uses the traditional CRT monitor.
The first device, the AOL Gateway countertop appliance, looks like little more than a flat-panel monitor. The base can be bent 180 degrees, so it can be either a stand or a unit hung under a counter or cabinet. It uses a wireless keyboard with a built-in mouse. Users can also interact with the system via a stylus or using the touch-sensitive screen.
The system is expected to ship by the end of the year.
The second unit, the AOL Gateway wireless Web pad, is about the size of a laptop and about as thick. It has a built-in digital camera and speakers, and uses the same wireless technology as a wireless phone. The device also will have a wireless keyboard and a touch-sensitive screen, and must be within range of a base that connects over standard phone lines to AOL.
The Web pad should be available in early 2001.
The AOL Gateway desktop appliance is a CRT-based unit that will be cheaper than the other two since it uses the less expensive CRT monitor. It also uses a wireless keyboard and mouse but will not be touch-enabled. Gateway expects it to ship by year's end.
No prices have been set, but Ashkin expects all the devices to be within the $500 range.
