At 19:57 -0500 4/22/04, Sellam wrote:
   The computer is now just
 hardware, and soon enough, with cool technology like keychain
 harddrives
 or what not, you'll bring in your own OS and software tools and
 modify the
 hardware to your purposes, leaving it as it was for the next user. 
 I think the NeXT Optical drives were intended to provide a
 functionality like this. Carry your own OD media around, stuff it into
 the NeXT you sit down at, and your entire (256Mbyte) environment is
 right there with you. (I'm not sure I have a reference to support
 this, though. Maybe NeXT sales materials? Anyone else?)
 Performance didn't live up to the rapidly moving HD performance of the
 day, and the idea got overtaken by network via ethernet. Sit down,
 telnet into your machine back home. 
A recent variation on this theme is the 'Home on iPod' feature that
Apple were rumoured to add to MacOS X.
See 
 for a
description of how to do a cut down version of it yourself.
Another possibility which is closer to the Optical drives is the
ability of any Mac with firewire to boot off a firewire disc (including
the iPod).
Cheers,
Brian.
--
Computer programmer: n. Red-eyed mumbling mammal capable of conversing
with inanimate objects.