Thin clients blur boundary with PCs

Thin clients have been around for many years, but somehow always seem to be on the periphery of firms’ networks, typically deployed for task-based staff in call centres or for applications where users only require access to basic productivity tools.

Although server-based computing offers many advantages from the point of view of the IT manager, the power and flexibility of a full-blown Windows PC often overrides these considerations. Then there is the psychological aspect to consider: many workers perceive any move to replace their desktop system with a Windows terminal as a demotion.

Meanwhile, the development of browser-based applications means many thin client terminals need greater processing performance, pushing the cost of some devices up to the point where they cost as much as a desktop PC.

But the chief advantage of a thin computing architecture has always been cost savings due to centralised management. So, is it possible to combine the flexibility of a Windows PC with the ease of management of a thin client?

Wyse certainly thinks so, and is seeking to provide exactly that with its new Wyse Streaming Manager (WSM). This serves up Windows 2000 or Windows XP to Wyse V00 thin clients at power-on, effectively turning them into diskless Windows PCs.

In itself, this is nothing new; even early versions of Novell NetWare enabled diskless PCs to boot from the server using a LAN adapter card with a special boot ROM. Where Wyse has added a new twist to this architecture is to enable Windows applications to be delivered the same way.

The vendor is also supplying the management tools to make it all work, so that administrators can package up operating system images and applications, enabling a server to deliver them on demand to client systems.

This has the advantage that patches and updates only need to be applied once, to the Windows image stored on the streaming server. Applications also only need to be deployed here, instead of being installed on many client systems across the organisation.

This architecture makes the Wyse V00 into the ultimate thin client; it doesn’t have an operating system, so it doesn’t ship with any Flash memory, just RAM. While connected to the LAN, it is as effective as a Windows PC. Once removed from the LAN, the device is little more than a paperweight.

But while this system will be the answer to a great many IT managers’ prayers, firms should not rush to dump all their PCs just yet. Some users, such as those running multiple displays, will probably still need a desktop PC.

The PC may also trump thin clients yet again after Windows Vista ships later this year. If reports from beta testers can be believed, today’s highest-performance PC systems are likely to be the minimum needed for Microsoft’s new operating system. Firms may need new desktops to deploy Vista.

So, Wyse’s new architecture should be seen as part of a spectrum of solutions available to IT managers, from Windows-based terminals to full-blown PCs, which can be deployed to different user groups as needed for their roles.