Affordable Linux-Based Thin Client

Every few years or so, industry pundits proclaim that we’ll soon return to the computing paradigm of the 1970s, using much simpler devices

to access applications sitting on a remote master machine.

A thin client like the Neoware Capio 500 is generally less expensive than the average PC and is much easier to set up, use, and manage.

Available for $390 (street), the Capio 500 does not run software applications on its own but connects you to a server. You then use

applications stored and operated on that server.

The Capio 500 uses Neoware’s specialized Linux OS, NeoLinux. NeoLinux exists merely to boot the Capio 500 and to run a utility called

ezConnect. Through ezConnect, IT managers can configure the unit’s network connection settings, and end users can subsequently connect

to a remote server.

The unit lets you run Windows applications from servers loaded with MetaFrame, from Citrix Systems (www.citrix.com), or Terminal Services,

from Microsoft (www.microsoft.com), but you can also tap into Unix servers via VT terminal emulation. In testing the Capio 500, we

connected to a machine running Windows 2000 Advanced Server, which always includes Terminal Services, and although configuring the

machine is fairly easy, we did encounter a slight hitch.

After we booted the machine for the first time and typed in the appropriate IP and gateway addresses, the unit took almost 15 minutes to

reboot. Once the system was up and running, though, it worked well. We pulled down an image of a Windows desktop complete with a wide

range of applications and used that desktop as if it emanated from a local PC.

Unlike Neoware’s Eon line of high-end thin clients, the Capio 500 is a closer to the dumb terminals of yore, relying on a server for nearly all

computing tasks. But it does include the I/O ports (serial, parallel, USB, audio) common to PCs, in case you need to attach peripherals.

ezRemote Manager comes bundled with the unit; it lets IT managers control and upgrade all client machines from a single central location,

saving you time and money

for more information click on http://www.thinclientworld.blogspot.com/

Affordable Linux-Based Thin Client

Every few years or so, industry pundits proclaim that we’ll soon return to the computing paradigm of the 1970s, using much simpler devices

to access applications sitting on a remote master machine.

A thin client like the Neoware Capio 500 is generally less expensive than the average PC and is much easier to set up, use, and manage.

Available for $390 (street), the Capio 500 does not run software applications on its own but connects you to a server. You then use

applications stored and operated on that server.

The Capio 500 uses Neoware’s specialized Linux OS, NeoLinux. NeoLinux exists merely to boot the Capio 500 and to run a utility called

ezConnect. Through ezConnect, IT managers can configure the unit’s network connection settings, and end users can subsequently connect

to a remote server.

The unit lets you run Windows applications from servers loaded with MetaFrame, from Citrix Systems (www.citrix.com), or Terminal Services,

from Microsoft (www.microsoft.com), but you can also tap into Unix servers via VT terminal emulation. In testing the Capio 500, we

connected to a machine running Windows 2000 Advanced Server, which always includes Terminal Services, and although configuring the

machine is fairly easy, we did encounter a slight hitch.

After we booted the machine for the first time and typed in the appropriate IP and gateway addresses, the unit took almost 15 minutes to

reboot. Once the system was up and running, though, it worked well. We pulled down an image of a Windows desktop complete with a wide

range of applications and used that desktop as if it emanated from a local PC.

Unlike Neoware’s Eon line of high-end thin clients, the Capio 500 is a closer to the dumb terminals of yore, relying on a server for nearly all

computing tasks. But it does include the I/O ports (serial, parallel, USB, audio) common to PCs, in case you need to attach peripherals.

ezRemote Manager comes bundled with the unit; it lets IT managers control and upgrade all client machines from a single central location,

saving you time and money

for more information click on http://www.thinclientworld.blogspot.com/

The Thin-Client Alternative

As an alternative to managed desktops, you may want to consider a server-based computing solution using thin-client appliances. A thin client is basically a terminal with a dedicated processor that uses various networking protocols to access and run apps that reside on a server instead of a local drive. The CPU directs the flow of data between the appliance and the server.

Thin clients typically don’t include hard drives, optical drives, or expansion slots. This makes them easy to deploy in large numbers, as there are no drive images or data-migration issues to deal with—and they take up little space on desktops.

Thin clients also remove the potential for problems caused by end users, such as the introduction of malware and unauthorized apps. Users could still download apps from the Web, but the IT staff controls the server and can blacklist certain sites or block the browser from downloading any file.

Thin clients are useful for companies where more than one employee uses the same system or that have roaming staff who need fast access to business apps and data. The user interface and programs a worker sees after logging in can be tailored to any criteria IT customizes into the system.

A typical thin client includes a low-voltage processor such as a Transmeta Crusoe (though it can be as high-performing as a Pentium 4), an embedded Microsoft Windows or Linux OS, and a mix of SDRAM and flash memory. Network hardware includes Fast or Gigabit Ethernet and even an 802.11 wireless controller. Some thin clients are standalone systems; others are all-in-one systems integrated into the display. Thin-client notebooks and tablet PCs enable wireless access to server-based apps.

Thin clients use specialized software and protocols to communicate with host servers. Products such as Citrix MetaFrame use ICA (Independent Computing Architecture); Tarantella’s Secure Global Desktop uses Microsoft’s RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) to manage the client-server architecture. Wyse Technology offers a variety of configurations, including small-footprint, solid-state terminals and integrated all-in-one clients. Dell, HP, Maxspeed, and Sun also offer desktop and portable thin-client systems.

Moving to a centralized computing solution using thin clients has many advantages, including lower maintenance and upgrade costs and a more secure, controlled environment. IT staff can better define how data moves through your network and where it is stored. And software upgrades and installations are performed at the server level.

Businesses contemplating a thin-client solution must have the infrastructure in place to handle the load of server-based computing, including dedicated app servers, backup servers, and enough network bandwidth to support hundreds of users. Since it takes fewer resources to support a large number of thin clients, IT staff can concentrate on the infrastructure instead of responding to numerous end-user service calls.

for more information click on http://www.thinclientworld.blogspot.com/

The Thin-Client Alternative

As an alternative to managed desktops, you may want to consider a server-based computing solution using thin-client appliances. A thin client is basically a terminal with a dedicated processor that uses various networking protocols to access and run apps that reside on a server instead of a local drive. The CPU directs the flow of data between the appliance and the server.

Thin clients typically don’t include hard drives, optical drives, or expansion slots. This makes them easy to deploy in large numbers, as there are no drive images or data-migration issues to deal with—and they take up little space on desktops.

Thin clients also remove the potential for problems caused by end users, such as the introduction of malware and unauthorized apps. Users could still download apps from the Web, but the IT staff controls the server and can blacklist certain sites or block the browser from downloading any file.

Thin clients are useful for companies where more than one employee uses the same system or that have roaming staff who need fast access to business apps and data. The user interface and programs a worker sees after logging in can be tailored to any criteria IT customizes into the system.

A typical thin client includes a low-voltage processor such as a Transmeta Crusoe (though it can be as high-performing as a Pentium 4), an embedded Microsoft Windows or Linux OS, and a mix of SDRAM and flash memory. Network hardware includes Fast or Gigabit Ethernet and even an 802.11 wireless controller. Some thin clients are standalone systems; others are all-in-one systems integrated into the display. Thin-client notebooks and tablet PCs enable wireless access to server-based apps.

Thin clients use specialized software and protocols to communicate with host servers. Products such as Citrix MetaFrame use ICA (Independent Computing Architecture); Tarantella’s Secure Global Desktop uses Microsoft’s RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) to manage the client-server architecture. Wyse Technology offers a variety of configurations, including small-footprint, solid-state terminals and integrated all-in-one clients. Dell, HP, Maxspeed, and Sun also offer desktop and portable thin-client systems.

Moving to a centralized computing solution using thin clients has many advantages, including lower maintenance and upgrade costs and a more secure, controlled environment. IT staff can better define how data moves through your network and where it is stored. And software upgrades and installations are performed at the server level.

Businesses contemplating a thin-client solution must have the infrastructure in place to handle the load of server-based computing, including dedicated app servers, backup servers, and enough network bandwidth to support hundreds of users. Since it takes fewer resources to support a large number of thin clients, IT staff can concentrate on the infrastructure instead of responding to numerous end-user service calls.

for more information click on http://www.thinclientworld.blogspot.com/

NTA Thin Client Terminals from $149

Devon IT Inc. has embedded an “optimized” version of Red Hat Linux in a line of low-cost thin-client terminals ranging from the entry-level Ntavo NTA 6010A priced at $149, to the $599 NTA 6015L that boasts an integrated 15-inch, 1024×668 TFT LCD screen. The company has avoided the common practice of maximizing features and charging high prices, in favor of offering the most “cost-effective thin-client alternative to desktop PCs,” it says.

According to the company, the low-end 6010A is powered by a Via Eden 4000 433 MHz processor. It comes equipped with 64MB of socketed DIMM DRAM and 64MB of CompactFlash memory, and a display controller that supports CRT and LCD monitors at up to 1280×1024 pixels in 24-bit color. Expansion ports include: three USB ports; serial, parallel, and PS/2 keyboard/mouse “legacy” ports; audio in/out ports; and a 10/100 Mbps Ethernet interface.

The NTA 6010A offers an “easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI) based on [a] Windows XP theme,” according to Devon, and it comes with built-in support for RDP (remote desktop protocol), ICA, and X client protocols, enabling its use as a terminal running remotely served Windows, Linux, or UNIX software applications, whether on a LAN or over the Internet.

The device’s embedded software also includes QVW Windows Manager and the Mozilla Firefox Web browser, as well as a client-side version of the company’s ThinManage configuration software. Thanks to the presence of Firefox, the device can be used out-of-the-box as a Web appliance, according to Devon vice president of marketing Paul Mancini.

As noted, the NTA 6010A and its higher-priced siblings include USB ports as well as a single internal PCI slot, which can be used for system expansion. The internal PCI slot is typically used to add a WiFi wireless card, according to Mancini.

Users can also add external hard drives and CD-ROMs by means of the USB ports. Additionally, the device’s DRAM consists of a socketed DIMM module, and its Flash memory is implemented with a CompactFlash card, so it should be easy to upgrade the unit’s DRAM memory and Flash storage. It also seems likely that the CompactFlash memory card can be replaced with a CompactFlash “Microdrive” hard drive, or even a 2.5-inch, laptop-style hard drive.

To date, all of Devon’s products have been based on Linux, Mancini added. However, “we will be announcing a Windows XPe thin client terminal soon, based on customer demand,” he said.

At $149, the NTA 6010A appears to be one of the lowest priced Linux thin clients currently on the market. “We are not aware of any terminals at this price point,” said Mancini. “The specs on our 6010A terminals at $149 compare to Wyse and Neoware terminals that are nearly $400 (list price),” he added.

The NTA 6010A is currently available from Devon IT.