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Introducing Thin Clients : Part 1 |
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Written by Stew
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Thursday, 27 September 2007 |
 Thin Clients, or Connected Clients as we here at VIA prefer to say, are slowly gaining more coverage in the online press and, it seems, are slowly starting to be touted as the future of modern computing. While thin clients have been gaining popularity in the enterprise or business sector, your average Joe has little clue what the term actually refers to. I hope to shed some light on a growing phenomena, its origins and potential future impact. Even if you're not average and your not called Joe, this article should shed some light.
Part 1. What is a Thin or Connected Client?
A Thin Client is, in very simple terms, a computer that has no hard disk drive and relies upon it's connectivity for data storage and retrieval and at times also its applications and processing. Traditionally a thin client had no processing power of its own and relied on the server for all its processing and its operating system too. The idea of 'terminal computing' ,as it was known, existed in a different age from the one we live in now. Most of the computers in the world back in the 80s and early 90s were being used by businesses, schools, colleges or government agencies. The idea of a personal computer or PC did not yet exist in mainstream popular culture.
 With terminal computing the user would essentially have a keyboard, mouse and monitor connected by very simple hardware to a server which then hosted the operating system and applications. Throughout the 1980s terminal computers went through various guises and morphs but basically remained loyal to the idea that people could access data and manipulate it through a terminal computer that accessed a central server. This was seen as a perfectly rational and logical way of working. Until the arrival of the personal computer.
The personal computer and the rise of Windows as the operating system of choice of course changed the face of the world forever. By the time we get to Windows 95, Netscape and the emergence of the world wide web, the technological landscape had changed so much that the idea of not having your data stored locally seemed almost daft. But this is also in part because the personal computer was exactly that. It was yours, and you had a responsibility to look after your own personal data. After all, where else could you put your data? Even today, only the consummate techie has his own server at home.
The PC is king today and most of us still use one at work. This is where is where a new breed of thin client is starting to emerge - the workplace. Will it ever prove a hit in the mainstream consumer market? I'll be discussing that too at some point.
Stay tuned for part 2 where I'll be covering current thin client trends and the emergence of the hybrid connected client .
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