HP Compaq t5135

[cookie_monster]

Anyone using them? Any issues?

 

We'll be getting some very soon so was just wondering how they perform as they're a lower spec than the T5735's that we have had before.

[Ric_]

no! don't do it!!!!!

[cookie_monster]

why???

[tmcd35]

We have a room full of these, they're the Linux based models. They seem harder to completely tie down. We have set every option we can find. Boot from internal HDD only, bios password, restricted user mode and still the kids manage to reset these to factory settings. We are forever re-imaging them.

 

The more expensive Win-CE models in the LRC on the other hand are a dream. No issues, locked down properly. So far no kids as successfully reset them!

 

One occasion I'd gladly pay the extra premium for Windows over Linux!

[cookie_monster]

Well our T5735 are Linux as well so we'll see how it goes they seem reasonably well locked down but not foolproof. Do you allow them internet access from the device or just from within a TS session?

[tmcd35]

Just TS! I think I know the problem. I'm sure there is a 'select boot device key' prob F11 on boot up that can't be switched off in BIOS (F12 for network boot is switched off in BIOS). So think with got it locked down tighter than a nuns .... and the clever *#!?#*'s have found this button and are booting a pen drive with a fresh image!

 

We have locked down every possible setting we can find so the machine turns on and boots straight to TS. If the connection is dropped it restarts TS. It boots in user mode not Admin mode, etc, etc. But still the odd machines (random) gets reset to factory settings. We've locked down and password protected the BIOS as well.

[cookie_monster]

Hmm i'll have a look at that i noticed that they boot straight to USB but i changed that in the BIOS i'm not too bothered about it being able to boot to the network as it only picks up the WDS server. Well unless they managed to sneek in a rogue PXE box.

 

EDIT: As far as i can tell F10 is BIOS and F12 is PXE boot F11 doesn't seem to do anything. I'll have a look in the manual.

Edited September 4, 2008 by cookie_monster

[tmcd35]

It's a problem that's plagued us for a while. We've alternated BIOS passwords incase they guessed that, gone through the setting with a fine toothed comb and the problem - factory reset machines - keeps coming back.

 

Not too much of an issue. We have a pre-built image on a pen stick, less than 1min all is right with the world again. It's just enough to convince us to use Win CE models in the future.

[cookie_monster]

Ok. Any other issues with the t5135 that you can think of, i'm wondering if the spec could cause issues it seems a fair bit lower compared to the T5735. I've not really worked out why the T5735 needs a 2GHz CPU and 512 Mb RAM, i suppose so you can use it for more than just Citrix/TS.

[Geoff]

BTW, you can reset the WinCE t5735s by holding down F9 on bootup. Chances are your little scamps will figure this out eventually.

[nut-ed]

Does anyone have any comments on the link below: (Except that it is from HP Asia, so possibly is not pre-empting UK plans)

 

HP Compaq t5135 Thin Client - HP

[tmcd35]

BTW, you can reset the WinCE t5735s by holding down F9 on bootup. Chances are your little scamps will figure this out eventually.

 

I'm pretty sure that this can be turned off in BIOS on these models, or at least on the WinCE models we have in our LRC. Our WinCE models (touch wood) to date seem a bit more bullet proof...

 

 

As for spec, couldn't figure out why a dumb term would need more cpu/ram meself so we went for the T5135's initially. Certainly can't see any performance difference between the 5135 and the faster WinCE's models. It's a dumb term after all. I think, if your planning to use the local web browser, etc rather than run everything through TS as we are doing then you may see a speed boost/reason to buy faster models?

Edited September 4, 2008 by tmcd35

[cookie_monster]

@ Geoff: they'll figure it out if they read this

[Butuz]

Got 30 Linux T5135 and 70 Windows T5135.

 

The Windows ones are faster and more streamlined. The linux ones are a bit clunky and slow, but are more configurable and easier to set up to auto-rdp - I cant seem to find an easy way of setting windows ones to automatically RDP to a server as soon as they boot up - anyone help?

 

To be honest with 100 of them - I will not be buying any more, the Axel units available on this forum are far faster, far easier to set up, far smaller, and VESA mount from the box, oh and far cheaper to boot! Wish I had 100 Axels instead!!!

 

Andrew

[cookie_monster]

Any downsides to the Axel units, graphics capabilities for e.g.?

[Ric_]

To clarify my point above... I bought 30 units when the t5125 reached end of life - I foolishly assumed that these were a straight replacement.

• The OS on the terminals is some kind of hacked-to-death Linux-based distro that isn't really Linux any more.
  
• The Altiris client on the terminals does not work properly - it's only any good for setting the time and powering the units on/off.
  
• You cannot use the capture/deploy scripts that you can use on the t5125 and t5725 units.
  
• Some of the settings are 'get attable' which means you ocasionally need to reconfigure them (a job that must be done manually!).
  

 

In use, the terminals are great... they just work.. however, it takes a long time to set them up - even if you manage to decipher the FTP-based configuration instructions... for the 30 I had it didn't seem like a productive use of my time.

[cookie_monster]

No Thinstate utility then?

 

Guess i'll find out soon enough anyway.

[tmcd35]

You can copy the SDD image to a pen stick and re-image on mass from there. As I said above we keep an image to hand permanently for when the little darling factory reset them for us!

[cookie_monster]

Ah that's ok then.

 

Might give one of the Axle units a whirl when i get time.

[Axel]

If you fill in the link on:

 

AXEL: request a demo unit from Axel Ltd.

 

We'll send you one to have a look at and you can be the judge.... it only takes 30 seconds to set up from scratch, less time than most other thin-clients take to boot! The only obligation is that you send it back if it does not suite your requirements. The key benefits you would see are

 

Much easier to setup up

 

Instant booting (<5 seconds)

 

Intuitive Remote Management Software (supplied fully featured at no charge)

 

Much smaller (size of cigarette packet) and comes with TFT VESA mounting kit

 

Much lower power consumption (6w)

 

Support direct from the manufacturer

 

All "components" ie RDP/ICA protocols, remote management software, setup menus,

boot microcode and hardware are all exclusively written and designed in-house by Axel, so all the "compromises" of the integrating third party products are avoided.

 

We have supplied over 50 evals to various "Edugeekers", if you do a search on Axel on this site you will find numerous posts giving various descriptions and photos

 

(Graphics support is 1280x1024 and wide screen res 1400x900).

 

Axel are the third largest thin client manufacturer in UK, all development and manufacturer is done in Europe. We have sold approaching 1 million terminals - though we have only been focusing on the educational market for the last few months. We offer genuine special educational pricing.

 

Two final points from posts above, As Axel have no operating system there is none of this "pressing x" key to interrupt boot, the setup is password protected. If the password is kept save there is zero possibilily for any student to tamper with the setup. Finally RDP (or ICA) require around 3Mb and very little CPU power. All other memory on a thin client minus this amount is used solely to host the operating system or other peripheral programs. So by removing the operatring system you remove the need for most of the hardware - which is the key reason why Axel's use less power, are smaller, and cost less...

[Butuz]

Any downsides to the Axel units, graphics capabilities for e.g.?

 

The only current downside is the Axel units do not pass through sound from the server, infact they don't even have a headphone socket! This would not really a problem for me as sound is not used in the areas I currently use thin clients in.

 

I did some multimedia testing with watching videos etc and the Axel client performed pretty much identically to the t5135 - they both could not display full screen video very well, though if you made the video much smaller, they could display it much better. Both were able to display flash sites e.g games, and animation, but not flash videos.

 

This though, is the same for all current "cheap" thin clients, and the Axel is by far the cheapest! I've no doubt one of the more expensive HP Thin Clients would fare much better with multimedia - but then at £300-£400 for a thin client I would expect it to do alot more than multimedia too!!! (make Coffee, take me to and from school, etc...)

 

Butuz

[cookie_monster]

Do you know if sound is something that might be added in the future?

[Geoff]

Yes, in a previous thread it was revealed that they will be using a USB dongle to add sound to the devices.

 

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/thin-client-virtual-machines/17155-axel-ax3000-m70-2.html#post204262

[Axel]

We plan to release a new version of the M70 in October. It will be same size as the current model, but deliver 4 x the performance and we are anticipating it will be the first thin client that is capable of multi-media video support. Pricing is not released yet - but should still be well below that of Linux and CE based terminals... As Geoff says above we plan to deliver sound via USB (this is one direction the industry seems to be going with the latest generation of mobile phones and similar products - though we plan to support a USB to phono dongle convertor for those who don't want to use USB headphones)

[cookie_monster]

Well in the end HP sent us some WinCE ones anyway, it turns out that you can disable the F9 on bootup feature.

 

Also the thinstate util allows you to deploy an image from a reference client to the others over the network so no need for USB sticks.