Wyse strips down thin client computers
Thinks PCs are a fatty, fatty 2x4
When is a thin client computer too thin?
According to Wyse, never.
In fact, the company envisions a future where thin clients get thinner and thinner to a point where they are free and disposable. Madness, you say? Well, they certainly seem to be headed that way.
But let's step back a moment. For those unfamiliar with the term "thin client," it's a device that doesn't store applications or configuration settings inside it. Sounds like a lot of things, yes? But what separates this device from — say, a brick or a shoe — is that it can use a server for processing activities, making the thin client primarily an agent of sending and retrieving information between the user and the remote server . It follows that such a device uses less circuitry, and thus costs less and uses a lot less power than a PC.
Today, Wyse is introducing the company's latest-and-greatest for VMworld at San Francisco. The line-up includes the company's new fastest desktop thin client, two full-power thin notebooks, and new multimedia software for virtual desktop environments.
Let's start at the top of the list:
V class LE thin computer
Wyse V class LE Thin Client
The new Wyse V class LE Thin Client is a device for virtual desktop environments using VMware VDI, Citrix or Microsoft. The client is Wyse's speediest offering, powered by a VIA Eden C7 processor running at 1.2GHz. It uses only 13 watts of power, has no fan, and is therefore silent. The ports include dual video output, audio, USB2, PS/2, Serial, and parallel. There's also an option of adding PCMCIA, Smart Card and WiFi. Customers can choose a zero client configuration for use with Wyse provisioning software, or with a minimum of 128MB Flash or DDR2 RAM to support Windows CE, Windows XP embedded or Linux.
The device will be available in September at $480 (without a monitor).
X90 and X90e thin notebooks
As a portable alternative, Wyse is releasing the X90e and X90 Thin Notebooks. The laptop has no local HDD, which eliminates the safety concern if it is lost, broken or stolen. Both models match the desktop device CPU speed with a VIA c7-M ULV running at 1.2GHz, and weighs in at only 3.8 pounds. The screen is a 12.1" LCD with `1280 x 800 resolution. Wyse said the battery life clocks between 5-7 hours.
Wyse X90 Thin Notebook
Wyse claims the laptop will function anywhere an internet connection is available with the exception of an airplane. The company said they will solve that problem with an upcoming announcement, but won't say any more.
The X90 includes WiFi, video, internal and external audio, USB2 and Express slots. Upgrading to the X90e adds Smart Card and Bluetooth 2.0. The devices are zero client compatible, but have Windows XP embedded for disconnected use.
The notebooks are available now, with intro pricing at $600 for the X90 and $650 for the X90e. Both prices will be raised by $100 after October 31.
Wyse TCX Multimedia
Wyse's new multimedia software extensions enable new and existing thin clients with 800MHz and faster CPUs to better display multimedia. The software, available for VMWare VDI, Citrix and Microsoft accelerates Mpeg1, Mpeg2, WMV, MPEG4 Pard2, XVID, Divx, AC3, AAC, MP3, WAV, WMA media types. It also offers full screen and full frame rate capability to raise the bar closer to PC levels. According to Wyse, VMware likes the software so much its shipping standard with their ESX Server 3.02 software.
The software is available now, at $25 per client. ®
COMMENTS
nothing but the price
Nothing wrong with this except the price and possibly security.
I think a lot of folk
are missing the point of thin client. I've just installed 50 into a teaching area. Mostly they'll be used for office and presentation work not high-end computing. Space saving is enormous and there are far less maintenance and troubleshooting issues. My ISS department does all the management remotely.
I'm not much convinced by these Wyse jobs though. I looked at these among others and went for JackPCs.
http://www.jadeintegration.com/jackpc.php
These fit into the same size space as a 13 amp socket. In fact I've got 6 fitted into short vertical power poles on each of 8 island benches. As for power, they pull about 5 watts max which does kind of put the 13 watts for the Wyse numbers to shame, and they get their power over the ethernet.
Not saying these are perfect or even the best, but they seem to be doing everything I wanted and they certainly look cool. Most folk look and ask where the PCs are.
Steve
Thin clients are ace
When you're a corporate IT department. Fixing a terminal server is rather less work (and much less frustrating) than fixing a maze of 300 Windows PCs, all different. Software breaks several orders of magnitude more often than thin client hardware does, anyway.
For home users, less so. Still, I'd consider one if they were cheaper and not locked into an expensive proprietary back-end technology. (But I'm a geek, so my house has IT infrastructure.)
Title
Nice posts. After reading them all, I was thinking that one of the most valid points which relates to disposability is the swap-when-needed, along with the no-time-waster.
All the other views on possibile similar aproaches, with regular systems will most likely have some time consumption of some sort, along with the eventual need for maintenance, being extra time consumption or expense.
While there are isses related with the choice, regarding network dependencies for one, in order to keep it viable and working, extra efforts need to be carried out as a form of backup support.
While not being the one and only solution, it is one, along others, with it's on pros and cons. The cat fight will come in the form of "how to's & what's" to try and make it stand out in the current reality.
To note: I don't know about other existing companies but, Intel and AMD current desktop CPU technology is already capable and further focussing on virtualization.
Ndiyo
I always liked the look of the thin clients at http://www.ndiyo.org/
And they're British, whoo hoo.
Unfortunately, they're not really available, though you can get a starter kit of 5 prototypes for £1499 +VAT.
So, it's still a bit pricey
