For Networks, Thin Is In

[Polaris573]

A decade ago, the network computer (also called the thin-client computer) was promoted as a replacement for personal computers and desktop software. Thin clients have no hard drives to store desktop applications, like Microsoft's Word or Excel, permanently. This prediction is slowly becoming true with today's new, more powerful, thin clients. Shipments are expected to more than double within the next five years.

Several forces are rekindling the interest in thin clients, money being the most obvious. An estimated three-fourths of the annual cost of a corporate PC is attributable to technical support, software upgrades, security patches and other maintenance. Thin computing now offers an alternative. Maintenance and software fixes can be handled more efficiently on central server computers.

Without a hard drive and less need for local processing, thin computers use far less power than PCs. The yearly savings in electric bills can be $150 or more for each desktop. Thin computers are also far less susceptible to viruses and spyware than PCs, which store the programs that are subject to attacks by malicious codes.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[d44ve]

A lot of our clients use "Thin Clients"

It really is a lot simpler than having 100 different PC's with 100 different setups and an infinite amount of problems

 

[[I.R.A]_FBi]

i also suspect that this will soon become true of Home pc's

 

[d44ve]

i also suspect that this will soon become true of Home pc's

I really dont see this being a viable option for the typical home PC.

The added expenses for a terminal server and the software just wouldn't be logical for a home

 

[Polaris573]

Having a server and a thin client in a home is kind of redundant since the server would most likely be a PC. Although when internet connections become faster there is a distinct possibility you will see thin clients in homes.

 

[[I.R.A]_FBi]

as it doing it to reduce piracy because each individual pc would have to be centrally validated befoer recieving teh software ...

 

[newtekie1]

Thin Clients have their applications, but I am already starting to see them implemented in places they don't belong, and I am seeing them being abused.

What I mean by that, is that my Girlfriend's boss just bought 2 Thin Clients and the server to run them for $5000, and all the Thin Clients can do is run a single Vet program for tracking patients! They can't do anything else, so they still have to keep 3 desktops, a laptop, and another file server running to run everything else they need and the two systems have to be linked together to function correctly, and they charged him another $1000 to come out and set it all up.

The people selling him the stuff completely ripped him off. He originally called them because we got really bad storms up here a few weeks ago, and two computers were hit by lightning. For $5000 he could have gotten so much more, or he could have just spend $1000 and got two computers and been able to use them for everything and not just running one single program.

 

[[I.R.A]_FBi]

it would eb done to reduce piracy ...

 

[newtekie1]

I really dont see this being a viable option for the typical home PC.

The added expenses for a terminal server and the software just wouldn't be logical for a home

I could see something like it be implemented. Where there is a Thin Client in every room of the house giving Internet access and other basic functions all linked to the main Server.

 

[Polaris573]

Thin Clients have their applications, but I am already starting to see them implemented in places they don't belong, and I am seeing them being abused.

What I mean by that, is that my Girlfriend's boss just bought 2 Thin Clients and the server to run them for $5000, and all the Thin Clients can do is run a single Vet program for tracking patients! They can't do anything else, so they still have to keep 3 desktops, a laptop, and another file server running to run everything else they need and the two systems have to be linked together to function correctly, and they charged him another $1000 to come out and set it all up.

The people selling him the stuff completely ripped him off. He originally called them because we got really bad storms up here a few weeks ago, and two computers were hit by lightning. For $5000 he could have gotten so much more, or he could have just spend $1000 and got two computers and been able to use them for everything and not just running one single program.

That is quite a misuse of thin clients. We have them in the hospital I worked at over the summer, and there they were used correctly. We put one PC at each nurses station for the head nurse and then gave each of the other nurses (5-6) a thin client to access patient information and other important services.

 

[d44ve]

Thin Clients have their applications, but I am already starting to see them implemented in places they don't belong, and I am seeing them being abused.

What I mean by that, is that my Girlfriend's boss just bought 2 Thin Clients and the server to run them for $5000, and all the Thin Clients can do is run a single Vet program for tracking patients! They can't do anything else, so they still have to keep 3 desktops, a laptop, and another file server running to run everything else they need and the two systems have to be linked together to function correctly, and they charged him another $1000 to come out and set it all up.

The people selling him the stuff completely ripped him off. He originally called them because we got really bad storms up here a few weeks ago, and two computers were hit by lightning. For $5000 he could have gotten so much more, or he could have just spend $1000 and got two computers and been able to use them for everything and not just running one single program.

Right now it does sound like he got ripped off..... however, he is now in a position where he can start moving the rest of his software to the terminal server and then start using it the way it should be

 

[d44ve]

I could see something like it be implemented. Where there is a Thin Client in every room of the house giving Internet access and other basic functions all linked to the main Server.

OK... and what about the ones that want to play games or install programs? It really isnt as simple as putting a terminal server in and plugging everything else in

 

[Polaris573]

Please don't double post, you can put multiple quotes in a post.

 

[newtekie1]

OK... and what about the ones that want to play games or install programs? It really isnt as simple as putting a terminal server in and plugging everything else in

I didn't say regular computers would be completely eliminated, but I know I have several in my house alone that could be replaced by Thin Clients. I have a laptop in the kitchen that servers the only purpose of letting my girlfriend look up recipies online, that could easily be done with a Thin Client. I've got another very crappy PC setup in my dinning room to let guests/friends access the internet when they are at my house, so I don't have to worry about them screwing up any of my good machines.

I'm just saying that we are moving towards having a computer in every room of the house, it seems, just to have access to the Internet, so Thin Clients would allow that.

 

[WarEagleAU]

We actually have two thin client servers, so to speak, at Red Lobster where I am working right now They use it to store alot of information on and process CC/DC transactions and what not.

 

[effmaster]

Please don't double post, you can put multiple quotes in a post.

LOL this is off topic but how do you put multiple quotes in a post after i click one persons post where it says quote it immediately goes to where i type in my post and where at the bottom of that same screen where you type in your post i dont see any extra quote buttons under each post so how the heck do you quote 2 seperate posts?

 

[Polaris573]

LOL this is off topic but how do you put multiple quotes in a post after i click one persons post where it says quote it immediately goes to where i type in my post and where at the bottom of that same screen where you type in your post i dont see any extra quote buttons under each post so how the heck do you quote 2 seperate posts?

Use the quote tags (quote=name of person)text in here(/quote)

Replace the parenthesis with square brackets "[" and "]"

Second Quote

On second thought, if it's too much trouble to make multiple quotes in a post go ahead and double post, I'll understand.

 

[Wile E]

Use the quote tags (quote=name of person)text in here(/quote)

Replace the parenthesis with square brackets "[" and "]"



On second thought, if it's too much trouble to make multiple quotes in a post go ahead and double post, I'll understand.

I actually quote the first message, type my response, then highlight and copy the whole box, then I hit back, quote the next message, and paste what I copied the first time in the box. If that makes sense to you? lol

 

[newtekie1]

I just middle click on every message I want to quote, this opens a new tab in my browser with the quoted text in a text box, just like I click on quote. Then I just copy and paste each quote into the first tab and write my responce.

 

[Polaris573]

I actually quote the first message, type my response, then highlight and copy the whole box, then I hit back, quote the next message, and paste what I copied the first time in the box. If that makes sense to you? lol

That's what I do too.

 

[Steevo]

Windows home server is based directly off the Server03' OS, and is being migrated to Longhorn as a alpha release shortly, specifily for thin clients, home theater in a box, internet radio, cable distribution, surf the web from your TV without a noisy expensive computer, or your coffeetable or a picture on a wall is taken from your favorites.





But that is probably more than I can legally say, NDA.