 | | Client-Based vs Server-Based Computing - Break the continuous upgrade cycle |
|  | |  | |  On a traditional old-fashioned computer network (fat client), each client
runs software using its own processor and, usually, from a local copy of the
program. This has a number of downsides. Software must be installed
individually on each computer. This can take a significant amount of time and
because software versions and settings may vary, it may run differently on
each computer. Because the software is running on the local processor and
with local memory, the speed of the software is completely linked to the
speed of the computer. Older computers will run software slower or even need
to be replaced or upgraded to allow them to run the latest software.
Imagine being able to break out of a continuous cycle of upgrades,
time-consuming maintenance and unreliability. By moving the software from
clients to fast central, secure servers, you can! Server-Based Computing
(SBC) revolutionises how computers are used, maintained and purchased. As
software is run centrally (not just stored centrally), the speed or
age of the client is unimportant. Looking after an SBC network takes a
fraction of the time compared to a traditional network and furthermore,
offers better performance at a lower cost. | | |  |  |  |
ThinIT™ - Lose the wait
 With Precedence ThinIT™, you can convert virtually any old PCs to centrally managed thin-clients. The PCs do not need any operating system (which can save money if purchasing refurbished machines) as ThinIT™ will replace software on the hard disc. Installation only takes a few minutes and doesn't even require a CDROM drive (you can install over a network). A ThinIT™ PC doesn't require
shutting down; just switch it off when you have finished. All settings
are stored centrally, so no configuration is required on each client. When used in conjunction with a Precedence NetManager, the clients can be controlled
through any web-browser. If a hard drive fails or a client stops working, reinstallation is extremely quick meaning you can be up and running with the minimum of downtime.
ThinIT™ costs only £35 per machine. For more details, please read the brochure (PDF) .
Minimum specifications are:
- 486 processor or above (66MHz or greater)
- 64MB RAM
- 64MB hard disc space
- Ethernet
- SVGA video card
 = Optional
 = Included | Planned | In development | To be released | Released | Version |
|---|
| Protocols |
|---|
| Citrix ICA (v10 in 2.05) | | | | | 2.00 | | Citrix Program Neighborhood | | | | | 2.08 | | Microsoft RDP (5.2) | | | | | 2.00 | | VNC client | | | | | 2.02 | | NX | | | | | | Tarantella
a.k.a. Sun Secure Global Desktop | | | | | | | ssh | | | | | 2.02 | | Integrated Opera™ Web-browser | | | | | 2.03 | | Flash plugin | | | | | 2.04 | | Video streaming client | | | | | 2.02 | | Local DVD playback | | | | | 2.02 | | Local CD playback | | | | | | | Video conferencing | | | | | 2.02 | | Audio conferencing | | | | | 2.02 | | Whiteboard conferencing | | | | | 2.02 | | Text conferencing | | | | | | | Voice-over-IP (VoIP) | | | | | | | Connectivity |
|---|
| VPN client | | | | | | | PPPoE client | | | | | | | 3G mobile phone | | | | | | | Bluetooth ® | | | | | | | WEP/WPA/WPA2 wireless | | | | | 2.02 | | Multiple wireless networks - roaming | | | | | 2.07 | | Administration |
|---|
| View/control client display with VNC | | | | | 2.01 | | Centralised network settings | | | | | 2.00 | | Machine-specific network settings | | | | | 2.00 | | Per-group network settings | | | | | 2.05 | | Central client control tool | | | | | 2.05 | | Remotely lock screen with custom message and/or timeout | | | | | 2.07 | | Runs from |
|---|
| Hard disk | | | | | 2.00 | | Flash disk | | | | | 2.00 | | CDROM | | | | | 2.05 | | USB memory stick | | | | | 2.06 | | PXE/TFTP network | | | | | 2.00 | | Dual-boot with Windows | | | | | | | Install from |
|---|
| CDROM | | | | | 2.05 | | Floppy | | | | | 2.07 | | USB memory stick | | | | | 2.07 | | PXE/TFTP network | | | | | 2.00 | | Upgrade from v1 | | | | | 2.05 | | Peripherals |
|---|
| Widescreen monitors | | | | | 2.05 | | Display resize/rotate | | | | | 2.08 | | USB Scanners | | | | | | | USB memory devices (mass storage) | | | | | 2.01 | | USB Digital cameras (mass storage) | | | | | 2.01 | | USB Digital cameras (PTP/PictBridge) | | | | | | | USB Webcams for video conferencing | | | | | 2.02 | | USB Webcams for still capture | | | | | | | Interactive whiteboard support | | | | | | | Direct support for datalogging | | | | | |
|
ThinIT™ v2 Current version: 2.07 Released: 18/7/08
ThinIT™ v1 Current version: 1.30 Released: 9/11/06 (ICA v7 + RDP 5.1 only)
Precedence Technologies Ltd, 120 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge, UK | Tel: 08456 446 800
Revision:1.8 Wed Mar 5 09:00:30 2008, 1.17 Fri Jul 18 15:05:54 2008 |
