Hacking Ellison's NIC for fun and profit

In this article, Embedded developer Jerry Epplin takes Ellison's New Internet Computer Company's Linux-based "NIC" Internet appliance for a spin and reports on his impressions. Never content to simply use stuff, Epplin proceeds to hack into the NIC and solve what he considers to be its main problem -- the lack of a built-in email client.
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Or, browse a chapter:

• Part 1: Software as a growing percentage of system costs
  
• Part 2: Making the NIC do stuff
  
• Part 3: First hack attempt
  
• Part 4: Poking around inside the NIC
  
• Part 5: The verdict?