The emphasis is placed on security and using the PC Parafield as a Thin-Client replacement. User created or stored data is present in the RAM, and when the machine is switched off, the data disappears – leaving would-be thieves unable to retrieve it. This does create the problem of backing the data up before turning it off, which require a network connection, or strangely enough, a USB device that the NEC spokesman mentioned – (editor’s note: wouldn’t this leave you right back where you started, with data on media that can be copy/retrieved?).
It retails in Japan, for around $3700 USD. As far as plans on producing and selling it to the outside market, NEC Spokesman Hitoshi Onodera said “We’ll launch it and see what the market response is before considering an international launch.”
We will be watching this closely, as Apple Computers recently entered into several large, high-profile partnerships for Flash ROM, leading to speculation that there would some kind of Flash-ROM based Apple computing product (other than an iPod).
Source: Yahoo News/PCWorld.com