Category Archives: ScoopIt Thin Client News

Thin Clients, Zero Clients, Android Stations and Cloud Clients
Since 1999, Thinclient.org has been reporting the thin client computing market as well as the ChromeBook, Zero Client, Android clients, Pi Raspberry Clients and Thick Client market. Generally the cloud computing market since it started with companies such as Citrix back in the late 80s.

A thin client is a lightweight[vague] computer that has been optimized for establishing a remote connection with a server-based computing environment. The server does most of the work, which can include launching software programs, performing calculations, and storing data. This contrasts with a fat client or a conventional personal computer; the former is also intended for working in a client–server model but has significant local processing power, while the latter aims to perform its function mostly locally.

Thin client hardware generally supports a keyboard, mouse, monitor, jacks for sound peripherals, and open ports for USB devices (e.g., printer, flash drive, webcam). Some thin clients include legacy serial or parallel ports to support older devices such as receipt printers, scales or time clocks. Thin client software typically consists of a graphical user interface (GUI), cloud access agents (e.g., RDP, ICA, PCoIP), a local web browser, terminal emulators (in some cases), and a basic set of local utilities.

Thin Client, a solution for schools

Working as an IT Manager (or even worse, to be in charge of a computer lab) at a school is a demanding work. Each teacher has his own needs.

Source: www.praim.com

Working as an IT Manager (or even worse, to be in charge of a computer lab) at a school is indeed a very demanding work.

 

As you can imagine, every teacher has his own needs and really many of them. Plus, their highly probable lack of IT knowledge is not very helpful for us,  technical assistants.

The problems that I am dealing with are more or less always the same:

 

1. Installation of multiple PC with many software (every teacher wants his or her own programmes that later are  used by students).

2. Heterogeneous and diverse PC parks (which means different installations and difficulties even for drivers and basic services).

3. Security issues (open USB ports, shared passwords).

4. High PC failure rates as apparently students don’t care too much to take a proper care of them.

So, what can we do? Is it possible to change this situation?