The Mac NC, sometimes referred to as the Macintosh NC, was a network thin client that was expected to be released by Apple by April 1998. The device was widely promoted by then-Apple director Larry Ellison, apparently as part of his Oracle Network Computer initiative. The Mac NC was ultimately never released, although key components of its technology were inherited by the original iMac, which was released in August 1998.
In December 1997, while talking to the Harvard Computer Society, Apple director Larry Ellison announced that Apple would release a product called the Macintosh NC in April 1998. He suggested the network computer would have a "near-300 MHz" processor and a 17-inch screen, and would sell for less than $1,000 (with a hard disk drive available as an extra costing an additional $100).[1] Ellison, as chief executive officer at Oracle Corporation, had overseen the development of a business alliance that produced a number of Network Computer-branded devices from companies such as Sun and IBM. Apple never manufactured any devices under the Oracle alliance, but did endorse the Network Computer Reference Profile.