|
|
|
Thinking Thin? Think Again:
The Skinny on Thin Client
Top reasons why thin client technology simply doesn't cut it as a modern computing architecture.
- Poor performance on rich content: Thin-client networks grind to a crawl even under modest usage of "rich" user interfaces, streaming media, or Flash animations. Some setups allow you to disable rich media access. But in an educational setting, where content access is often a key selling point for PCs, this is obviously an unacceptable solution. In corporate settings, browser-based applications, training materials and video conferencing will all be adversely affected by the poor performance of the thin-client architecture with rich content.
- Sluggish user interface: A well-known problem with thin clients is their unresponsive user interface. Users find this frustrating, and it can decrease productivity. This problem is even more pronounced on multi-location deployments (e.g., thin clients running over your Wide Area Network (WAN) rather than within your Local Area Network (LAN).
- High deployment costs: The upfront deployment costs of a thin-client networks quickly eclipse those of regular networked PCs. Thin-client terminals often cost as much as full-fledged PCs. In addition, you will incur server costs that entail a complex setup, testing, and licensing costs (see below).
The Desktop Multiplier™ for Novell® Linux Desktop, on the other hand, which is essentially "zero-client", easily connects as many as 10 monitors, keyboards, mice and users directly to one standard PC, equipped with extra video cards. The Desktop Multiplier drastically reduces deployment and management costs.
- Server-side scalability bottleneck: With PCs or the Desktop Multiplier's 10-to-1 approach, each new client computer adds computing power to your network. Therefore, the desktop solution scales infinitely. Each new thin client, however, represents a drain on your computing power, placing additional load on your servers and your network. Once you cross a certain threshold, your server architecture may need to change, potentially leading to unplanned and costly server replacements. The Desktop Multiplier for Novell Linux Desktop relieves your network of these costly disruptions.
- Single point of failure in network outage: While expensive server technologies, such as clustering and hot fail-overs, can help mitigate the risk of the servers themselves failing, if your network goes down, so too do all of your thin clients. During a network outage, thin-client users will be unable to do word processing and, depending on your setup, they may even loose any work in progress. A network outage with thin clients will bring all computing in your organization to a complete halt. In contrast, PCs and Desktop Multiplier for Novell Linux Desktop systems can typically continue running everything except the Internet during a network outage.
- Exorbitant licensing fees & complex licensing models: Thin clients require you to pay for licenses for all the software used on each station. In addition, you must purchase Client Access Licenses (CALs) for both the clients and the server (e.g. on a Windows Terminal Server / Citrix deployment). Tracking and managing license compliance in a thin-client deployment is a very complex undertaking.
- Out of reach for smaller organizations: The upfront costs and technical expertise needed to manage a thin-client environment makes thin-client systems out of reach for many small organizations.
- Printing hogs network bandwidth: Depending on the thin-client network's design and setup, the simple task of sending a print job can have a tangible effect on the network.
- Thin clients mask who is doing what on your network: With the thin-client approach, each user's activities become difficult, if not impossible in certain circumstances, to track.
A thin-client approach is both costly and time-consuming. Talk to companies in your area that have experimented with thin client technology. Probe deeply and learn more about their experiences with these issues.
If you're looking for the simplest and most affordable approach to consolidating your desktops, without the drawbacks listed above, the Desktop Multiplier for Novell Linux Desktop is your solution. If there are, however, applications in your organization that must run with a thin client, the Desktop Multiplier is by far the most cost-efficient strategy to deploy these thin clients.
|
|
