Modification to the Network Computer to Enable it to

The Network Computer is the ¿buzz word¿ today. There is intense competition between major players in the computing world like Microsoft, Intel, Diba, and Panasonic among others. The Network Computer has the potential to integrate all the functions of telephony, viz. Internet, television, radio, e-mail and video telephony into one highly integrated, low cost device. It is "web based" and will be driven by cutting edge software such as Java or ActiveX. Prices range from $300 to $800. The price will of course be sensitive to intense competition by manufacturers and public demand. The price of the Network computer that supplants the conventional telephone, TDD, answering machine and comparable devices will be highly cost effective. This new technology, more by default than design, will not provide access to the TDD, which remains the basic telecommunication device for the hearing impaired. Fortunately, most Network Computers will be software programmable and therefore open to TDD emulation, modification of standard e- mail protocols to imbed TDD messages into the e-mail box with ability to read, delete, forward, carbon copy, and remote access TDD messages. This will be a revolutionary innovation in the e- mail environment. This new technology though highly sophisticated, can by simple modification and adaptation made very "disability friendly".