Thin Client / VDI schools in East or West Midlands

[cvl4]

Hi

We are considering investing in thin client technology at our school .

Are there any schools out there in the Midlands running Thin Client systems who would be willing to allow our ICT coordinator and member of SLT and myself (Network Manager to visit and see how your system is working first hand and maybe talk to some mebers of the teaching staff for their views?

 

Anyone with experience of Precedence, Cutter Project or DataSpire?

 

We are a 11 to 14 South Leicestershire High School and with aprox 750 students and 40+ staff - we wouldbe especially interested to hear from similar sized schools.

 

Caroline Lucas / Network Manager

Edy O'Connor / Assistant Headteacher

Edited October 4, 2010 by cvl4

[linescanner]

I have a number of schools around your area. Drop me a PM and we can arrange some visits for you.

[SkreeM1980]

I have approx 350 Thin Clients in our college, running VDI. The thin client infrastructure was installed and is supported by Cutter Project who are fantastic and couldn't be anymore helpful! the vmware was supplied by another party who struggled to make it work initially but we have changed supplier and now all works a treat!

 

You're welcome to come and visit, drop me a PM

 

Giles Batchelor

Network Development & Services Manager

Moulton College

[Axel]

There are a number of schools in the link below successfully using thin clients - I am sure any of them would be more than happy to receive a PM and discuss their deployments and views on thin clients, or if any are of particular interest I'd be happy

to make the introduction

 

If you have a terminal server we'd be more than happy to send up a device to give you a hands on feel of what they are all about....

 

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/thin-client-virtual-machines/22082-axel-ax3000-m70-lesson-monitor.html

 

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/thin-client-virtual-machines/45960-tidy-thin-client-installation.html

[scholarpack]

Out of interest do any of the Cutter project and the likes schools use LTSP 5?

[Dataspire]

Post edited due to unauthorised advertising. If you wish to use the forums for commercial purposes please contact us.

 

Dos_Box

Edited November 26, 2010 by Dos_Box

[linescanner]

Sorry missed this. We have some using older LTSP.

[cvl4]

Thought I would just provide a brief update.

 

After careful deliberation we decided to go with Cutter - they have been absotutely brilliant. I would highly recomend the company to any school considering Thin Client.

[FN-GM]

I am currently involved in a project rolling out 13,000 of the things. If you have any questions i might be able to help. Drop us a PM.

 

EDIT: sorry i didnt see you last post

[linescanner]

Thought I would just provide a brief update.

 

After careful deliberation we decided to go with Cutter - they have been absotutely brilliant. I would highly recomend the company to any school considering Thin Client.

 

Thanks for the kind words. It has been a pleasure

[Dave_O]

CVL4

 

You really need to think about this carefully before leaping in. Be very clear about what you are wanting to achieve and what your expectation are. I would start small and work up from there. DO NOT implement across the whole of school initially. Make sure your tech have or aquire the skills to support it, don't just rely on third parties. Read my other posts (search for Dave_O or Dave O) in this forum for our experience of VDI and other thin client technologies. PM me if you want to talk on the phone or want more detail.

 

Dave O

[FN-GM]

To be honest that's standard with anything you do IT wise. If you dive in the deep end it's your own fault if it goes wrong. Pretty abvious really...

[Dave_O]

FN-GM

 

"If you dive in the deep end it's your own fault if it goes wrong" not much help really. I have seen quite a few schools do this, bewitched by the sales talk and the supposed improved management. Not only schools but managed service providers implementing whole school solutions, only to find it didn't work. Sometimes stating the obvious is necessary. CVL4 is doing the right thing by asking.

[andrew-virtusolve]

SO much miss-selling in the VDI space, mainly to people who don't quite understand the differences between VDI, thin client or who haven't seen how rich thin client delivery has become in 2008R2.

 

99% of companies asking for a VDI solution actually want either RDS or a hybrid of VDI, RDS and thick delivery - buyer beware!

[linescanner]

CVL4

 

You really need to think about this carefully before leaping in. Be very clear about what you are wanting to achieve and what your expectation are.

Dave O

 

Guys, just to let you know, the system has been in since April.

[Dave_O]

SO much miss-selling in the VDI space, mainly to people who don't quite understand the differences between VDI, thin client or who haven't seen how rich thin client delivery has become in 2008R2.

 

There are so many levels on which one can respond to this. Here are just a few:-

 

1. There is distinction between typographical errors (typos to you) and spelling/grammatical errors.

2. Is there a proven causal link between spelling and technology understanding? I've searched and cannot find one.

3. What relevance has spelling got to this context? The dynamic nature of language is such that spelling is transient over time. The primary purpose of the forum is to convey knowledge and opinion through shared understanding. Excluding or deriding someone because of their differing spell capabilities does not further that objective. The spelling mistakes are close enough to the presently accepted versions be understood and therefore still convey meaning.

4. Having looked back at your posts my only comment is "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone"

[linescanner]

There are so many levels on which one can respond to this. Here are just a few:-

 

1. There is distinction between typographical errors (typos to you) and spelling/grammatical errors.

2. Is there a proven causal link between spelling and technology understanding? I've searched and cannot find one.

3. What relevance has spelling got to this context? The dynamic nature of language is such that spelling is transient over time. The primary purpose of the forum is to convey knowledge and opinion through shared understanding. Excluding or deriding someone because of their differing spell capabilities does not further that objective. The spelling mistakes are close enough to the presently accepted versions be understood and therefore still convey meaning.

4. Having looked back at your posts my only comment is "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone"

 

?????????? What has this got to do with the comment on miss-selling

 

or am I missing something ?

[Dave_O]

?????????? What has this got to do with the comment on miss-selling

 

or am I missing something ?

 

OK.

 

1. Is suggesting the spelling errors in the posts are typos rather than spelling mistakes

2. The author was suggesting a connection between spelling and understanding

3. The thread is not about spelling and grammar rather sharing of knowledge and understanding

4. A cheap dig at Andrew-Virtusolve (my apologies)

 

Hope this clears things up.

[andrew-virtusolve]

Both cheap and expensive digs are welcome, was simply making the comment that from experience most folk who come requesting VDI end up with Terminal Services.

 

Dave - if you read the comment I made about Miss-Selling, not miss-spelling or have I got the wrong end of the stick too??

Edited November 7, 2011 by andrew-virtusolve

[Dave_O]

Bravo!

You have my most abject apologies. Age and failing eye sight have lead me down the wrong path again. Thank you for explicitly pointing this out. This is an interesting sociological/psychological point. I read the post 4 times the first time must have stuck as with each successive read I continued to miss the actual point, even now my mind is telling me it says spelling.

 

I'm a little annoyed (you get like this at my age - everything and everybody is annoying) that no one actually explicitly said "it's selling not spelling you senile blind old git"

 

A again Mr Virtusolve (for this is how I feel I should now address you) I offer you my apologies.

 

Dave (senile, blind, old git) O

 

PS

 

As you quite rightly point out, certainly in our case all of our thin clients now run Terminal services.

 

And please no more mention of the stick

Edited November 7, 2011 by Dave_O

[andrew-virtusolve]

Bravo!

You have my most abject apologies. Age and failing eye sight have lead me down the wrong path again. Thank you for explicitly pointing this out. This is an interesting sociological/psychological point. I read the post 4 times the first time must have stuck as with each successive read I continued to miss the actual point, even now my mind is telling me it says spelling.

 

I'm a little annoyed (you get like this at my age - everything and everybody is annoying) that no one actually explicitly said "it's selling not spelling you senile blind old git"

 

A again Mr Virtusolve (for this is how I feel I should now address you) I offer you my apologies.

 

Dave (senile, blind, old git) O

 

No probs, I did wonder which tripwire I hit there for a while!

Not the first time I've been on the end of a rant, usually its more deserved though ;-)

[Dave_O]

I'll bookmark this thread for future reference just in case someone does throw in the spelling grenade. I always wondered, when I was younger, why old people were so grumpy and argumentative. Truly I don't know how I got here it just happened!

 

Back to the original purpose of the thread. My offer still stands to the original poster and if you want to visit South Yorkshire and see what we have (so to speak) you are more than welcome

Edited November 7, 2011 by Dave_O

[Dave_O]

Apparently I was a victim of "Peceptual set" (note victim - implying no control - not my fault)