Thick Client Vs Thin Client

[Mr_Jiminy]

Can I please have your views re Thin Clients?

 

We've been asked to implement a thin client solution in a primary school, they want to operate around 79 thin or zero client terminals. The school are looking to run a selection of software titles (old and new), so the need wouldn't just be word processing and internet.

 

I suspect we'll be priced out of the water as I know the school have sourced costs from a competitor offering an N Computing solution.

 

Our mind-set is ensuring a decent server solution, implementing SSD drives in place of SAS for one. However if I'm totally honest I'm more inclined to offer a thick client.

 

The school doesn't have a support contract through us, plus the support they to take (from the LA), is only a once a week visit. I'm pretty sure implementing a thin client solution on the that scale, would require more than a once a week 3hour visit.

[PotNoodleTech]

So you're going to need to be running unknown, possibly archaic, probably poorly written software, possibly without any ability to test performance before quote/implementation?

 

In that case, fat client all the way.

 

Actually - fat client all the way, in any case in my humble opinion. Been there (admittedly it was a cost saving exercise only) and seen the repercussions. All my thin clients now replaced with Dell fat clients and won't be going back.

[Mr_Jiminy]

So you're going to need to be running unknown, possibly archaic, probably poorly written software, possibly without any ability to test performance before quote/implementation?

 

Indeed, in fact we were alarmed at the software they were wanting to run - 2Simple Collection to name but one, which I'm speculating is circa 10 years old.

[localzuk]

Be very careful with old software. We run abut 60 thin clients here at the moment, and back when we were running them with 2003 server and Citrix XenApp we had a problem with an old piece of software. When opened, the software used up 100% CPU on all 8 cores and ate all the RAM in one go.

 

Test each package thoroughly before allowing pupils near it on thin clients.

 

For a primary school, I'd still be recommending fat clients anyway, because of all the random DVD based software, old software, graphics intensive interactive software etc...

[tmcd35]

Actually - fat client all the way, in any case in my humble opinion. Been there (admittedly it was a cost saving exercise only) and seen the repercussions. All my thin clients now replaced with Dell fat clients and won't be going back.

 

Pretty much this. Cost savings didn't end up that big either sure £150-£200 vs £350 for the clients, but if you want higher powered multimedia clients then that gap shrinks, then you need to take the specs/cost of the server into account.

 

For word processing and web browsing fine. For everything else, why reinvent the wheel?

[Mako]

I thought this was a thread about users... whoops.

 

Thick clients all the way.

[chazzy2501]

There is of course the multipoint solution which is made for Primaries.

[Mr_Jiminy]

There is of course the multipoint solution which is made for Primaries.

 

Which is?

[chazzy2501]

sorry, Microsoft multipoint. Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 Home Page

 

Basically a powerful workstation that runs many zero clients but not a full VDI thin client solution. It made to be teacher lead.

 

Windows MultiPoint Server 2011

[Mr_Jiminy]

sorry, Microsoft multipoint. Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 Home Page

 

Basically a powerful workstation that runs many zero clients but not a full VDI thin client solution. It made to be teacher lead.

 

Windows MultiPoint Server 2011

 

I've seen this with the N Computing technology, I have to say I didn't like what I saw. One example was ' i7 workstations' sitting in an IT suite, with pupils sitting alongside the devices. I suspect whoever installed the solution was to the blame for selecting the on show location.

 

The clients themselves seemed to do the job, of what I saw anyway.

 

Ironically the competitor is offering the multipoint solution, our solution (VDI) can't come close to it for cost and is frankly overkill for a primary school. We've decided to offer thick clients instead, largely due to the school not having a managed support contract with us.

Edited April 28, 2015 by Mr_Jiminy

[Oaktech]

So you're going to need to be running unknown, possibly archaic, probably poorly written software, possibly without any ability to test performance before quote/implementation?

 

In that case, fat client all the way.

 

Actually - fat client all the way, in any case in my humble opinion. Been there (admittedly it was a cost saving exercise only) and seen the repercussions. All my thin clients now replaced with Dell fat clients and won't be going back.

 

I can see an application for thin client in an office environment, when genuinely all that is required is office and web, but otherwise I'm with you, fat client FTW.

 

I've seen this with the N Computing technology, I have to say I didn't like what I saw. One example was ' i7 workstations' sitting in an IT suite, with pupils sitting alongside the devices. I suspect whoever installed the solution was to the blame for selecting the on show location.

 

The clients themselves seemed to do the job, of what I saw anyway.

 

Ironically the competitor is offering the multipoint solution, our solution (VDI) can't come close to it for cost and is frankly overkill for a primary school. We've decided to offer thick clients instead, largely due to the school not having a managed support contract with us.

 

I had a multipoint setup exacty as you describe and it was dire. if one terminal froze, the whole server had to be restarted losing everyone's work, it had no support for 3d acceleration and websites requiring lots of flash would crash it instantly. I've now gone fat client as items in the new computing curriculum such as wedo and makeymakey demand the ability to connect USB to workstations that couldn't be supported by multipoint.

[ICTDirect_Dave]

Fat Clients all the way! And if it's price that you're worried about why not see if we can't help you find a refurb server/desktop solution that'll outperform the Thin Client setup and cost less? Edited April 28, 2015 by ICTDirect_Dave

[Oaktech]

Fat Clients all the wayand if it's price that you're worried about why not see if we can't help you find a refurb server/desktop solution that'll outperform the Thin Client setup and cost less?

 

He can you know...

[DrCheese]

I visited a local school that uses nComputing quite heavily - It seems to work well for them, the system is very "fast" as the backend is high spec'd but I wasn't impressed with the overall end user experience. The resolution of the displays was lower than the native for the screen, Aero was disabled, scrolling in IE was laggy. Videos weren't smooth until the built in transcoding kicked in. For me, User experience is absolute key - If it feels slow & looks bad, then no matter how "fast" it really is the users will complain and slate the system.

 

For me, it was the same old problem I've ran into with VDI - If the solution can't keep up with what we can already do on older fat clients, how well will it cope with things we throw at it in future

It's also another layer/vendor that's being added to your network & your reliant on them supporting you for the long haul.

 

It was almost an option for us tho because the price of doing 30 computers was around 8k - But having done a ton of research/getting numerous quotes I was able to get a full fat solution for almost the same price.

Leave it a few years & fat clients will be so, SO cheap the difference will be nothing

Edited May 1, 2015 by DrCheese