Search

The DisklessThinClients.com Store Opens Online

Tuesday, 14 March 2006 by Michel Roth

The site features computer workstations from a wide variety of manufacturers. All of the workstations are free of embedded software and internal moving parts and are ideal replacements for PCs on the desktop in a server-centric computing environment.

Terminals from companies including Hewlett Packard, DisklessWorkstations.com, K12 Computers, and Symbio Technologies may be purchased from the site. Units are available that can connect to application servers running terminal emulations such as Windows Terminal Services (RDP), Citrix (ICA), Linux/Unix (X), TN5250/AS400, and IBM3270.

Like their cousins, traditional thin clients, diskless thin clients last up to ten times longer than personal computers, use 1/10 of the electricity, are more reliable, secure, and affordable, and are far easier to manage. Diskless thin clients go even one step further by eliminating all embedded software and internal moving parts, thus adding to the workstations� longevity.

To the end user, diskless thin clients look and feel just like PCs. In a recent �blind taste test� in the UK, participants could not distinguish between thin clients and personal computers and actually preferred them to the PCs.

In addition to workstations, the site also offers boot appliances to power the thin clients, server software from companies such as Microsoft and NoMachine to manage the workstations, and hardware parts such as boot ROMs and bootable NICs for those who want to build their own diskless workstations. The site also features a variety of products geared to the open source community using LTSP and K12LTSP.

Of particular interest to those new to diskless thin clients is the ability to compare diskless terminals and boot appliances side by side, which helps users determine the type of workstation and boot appliance most relevant to their needs.

More here.