14 DAY TRIAL // The Japanese company Nec has developed a laptop for corporate users that does not include in its configuration a hard disk. Named PC Parafield, the computer was developed as a replacement to the actual client systems and combines the possibility to work anywhere with improved data security.
Conventional laptops can be used anywhere, but they represent a security risk because they can be stolen. The new Nec system does not store data by default, needing a network connection to the company's servers. But such a connection is not always available.
The new laptop without a hard disk stores the operating system and the software applications locally in the flash ROM memory, the system being able to work without a network connection. Flash ROM memories are usually used for storing BIOS and firmware in electronic devices, but they have limited reprogramming possibilities.
Apparently, PC Parafield looks like a normal laptop, and its specifications are standard besides the absence of the hard disk. It features an Intel Pentium M processor that runs at 1,73 GHz and has Windows XP Professional OS. 3 GB of flash ROM are available for storing the operating system and the additional software, and the featured RAM memory is 512 MB. The display has a 1024 X 768 pixels resolution (XGA), measuring 12 inches.