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Well yesterday I got the chance to put together my Thin Client from nComputing.
And after it was over I realized just how easy the whole thing was.

Everything just worked. And at this time I am typing this, using the Thin Client... I installed!

This is so cooolll!

I used my desktop "boclab01" computer featuring Windows XP Pro and a 2.8 Pentium 4 with 512 mb of RAM.

 It all a matter of knowing the application requirements.

Anything that is screen intensive i.e. Movies and Games for example may not be a good fit for any Thin Client. However with that being said there are many applications in schools, hospitals and businesses, that find great value in hundreds and maybe thousands of applications. Of course the best fit for Thin Client's are applications that are data driven. Iin the case of Student lookup on secured network, patient records retrieval, Internet browsing, Office© applications and far too many to list here.

There are literally hundreds of thousands of business and home users looking for ways that can manger their tighter and tighter squeezed budgets. Thin clients could be a God send in the home also. If you have a home network, giving your children access to technology at a faction of the cost of a new computer is now available.

Install begins:

I setup my one client, I used a new 17 dollar keyboard and a mouse that I had laying around. I knew I would have to bite the bullet and buy a monitor for this project so I picked up the day before a 17" LCD monitor with onboard speakers.

In total it took maybe around 45 minutes.

And that was only because I actually took the time to read the manual.

The next thing I had to do was to install the Winterm service on my host "for thin client" computer. Luckily I picked up an "L" series and so I just connected the thin client to the network while the b"boclab01" computer was rebooting. And that's pretty munch it.

Make sure you are running with user names at least. Passwords are a political decision.

I bravely attempted to start the "Thin Client" by flipping it's switch. I showed my "boclab01" computer and I clicked select and I was there. I was being prompted for my ID. I entered and pressed  "Enter" and I was in…. baby!!!

I decided to try playing some music. I wasn't surprised that the ncomputing Thin Client included a sound card. I luckily bought an LCD with speakers built in and then I just connect the two together. Then I selected music from my library and hooray... I had music. And this music was streaming to the client across my Network. Now to be truthful, the music began to get choppy. I switched the "visualizer" from the 3d earth from space, in High Def and to bars.

This time it worked perfectly. "Cool" I think I. So now I began browsing the internet. Even cooler..." I then opened Word and Publisher.
Believe it or not, everything just worked.

However....

... be careful with applications that are screen intensive. Applications like video players or video editors. These applications can flood your LAN with video frames at an alarming rate. This type of “Real Time” application live and die by their speed to the user, and therefore should not be considered for Thin Client, period.

However only a small faction of computers on the planet work like that. The vast majority of computer’s in the work place are, “Data Driven”. By “Data Driven” I simply mean, these type of computer’s provide things like customer information lookup, web browsing, any WORD© type applications and lot’s of other daily tasks. Typically a single desktop computer would be required for each position.

Now however you can deploy as many as 7 Thin Clients from that one desktop computer.
From the same computer that was originally reserved for just one single user.

Benfits: X300
The entry level product from nComputing’s array is called the X300. It uses it’s own wiring back into the desktop computer. The amazing thing here is that it’s priced at 89 dollars each.

89 dollars, that’s it huh! Well not quite.

You still have to buy a keyboard mouse and screen. But then again, wouldn’t you have to buy a monitor for any computer also?  All in all this particular “Thin Client” gives you a unbelievable cost saving whether your providing new computer’s or maintaing the status quo, there isn’t anything out there that I can find that will permit you to shave over 80 off of project and still hit your delivery dates.

On time, under budget!

If you were to look at any another Thin Clients, you would have to pay somewhere around 300 dollars, plus the cost of keyboard, mouse and screen. Most other solutions demand a server right at the start. If you have one great however nCOmputer can run very nicely on a desktop computer as well as a server. But the cost effectivness to the desktop ncomputing solution would be to ensure…

Check out the bundles!

Even if 300 dollars per seat has to be added to the cost of a Server, the nComputing solution still makes lots of sense.

The mythical disadvantage of the nComputing approach.

On the surface the 35 foot limit appears to be a touch limitation to live with. However, if you look at bit closer you would see that…you have a 225 square foot area to play with. The radius in square feet of the nComputing series X Thin Client.

Unless these happen to be really large office suites, the solution on the nComputing’s Thin Client readiness of the X300 in my opinion is valuable. There’s still nothing else out there that can save you that kind of coin while still providing all the services and resources you are obliged to deliver.

The Thirtfive Foot limit!

The 35 foot limit while at first gleam, could be seen as somewhat of a blessing also. What it does in fact is shield your entire LAN from any chatter by the “Thin Clients”. If you remember that these “Thin Clients” are sending all their screen refreshes as well as any audio content across their LAN to the Desktop computer. Since the X300 uses a proprietary wiring scheme, that’s wired directly back into the “Desktop” computer, the “Desktop” to “Thin Client” chatter is restricted to its own “private” Network. The Desktop computer only ever needs to make network requests when there is data retrieval to be done.

How far is fifteen feet, really?

Well firstly while your most certainly are restricted to 35 feet, remember that that’s only from the distance of the desktop computer that will be hosting the Thin Clients. In fact, you have a 360 degree radius around the Desktop computer. You could then deploy 6 additional “Thin Client’s” wired back to this desktop in that space.

And because the units produce no heat, take no space, putting them close together will not cramp anyones style.

And now that you’ve got a 7 to 1 ratio you could afford to upgrade the desktop Network card to perhaps a Gigabyte type add some extra RAM and harddisk witgh fairly large cache.

 Now let's see how fast this Thin Client can fly now! 

Single point from desktop to switch.
That’s it!

It’s at least 7 times better than a Desktop on every desk top.

Question: I want to use my existing LAN wiring.

Answer: I guess nComputing was listening because they also carry the “L“ series Thin Client.

For many the “L” series featuring limitless distance deployment virtually anywhere. Using you existing wiring you simply unplug the old stuff, and plug in the new stuff. The L series starts at around 189.

In my limited experience with the “L” series, I have learned a few things…

1)      Load up the memory. When possible give each user at least 512 mb.
2)      Get a fast hard drive. SATA type hard drive with lot’s of Cache.
3)      Dual Core© Once you pass 4 Thin Clients, think about a Dual Core©.   

If you are about to replace desktop computers and would like to maintain or augment what you deliver, this may be your first and best choice

Pick yours!

And since these Thin Clients come from the school system you get access to some pretty cool parental tools also.

For example: you can disable any Thin Cline on the network when it becomes time for bed. Or you can also send a message to all the Thin Client users or to specific users as to the arrival of the “sleeping bed time period.”

You can as administrator also watch Live any Thin Client on your network.

Maybe the most valuable reason for Thin Client is that, when the technology changes in two year and you need to replace all these computers, you won’t have to replace the Thin Clients. They will continue to work and benefit from a new faster Desktop computer.

So go ahead, take advantage of the best deal out there.

Is a Thin Client the right choice for you?

Give me a call for your EVAL and see for yourself.

800 625-5468 x 8525  or  514 373-8525
BrianO@PCMallGov.com or brianoc1@hotmail.com
http://www.boconnor.bravehost.com

brian