Only the paraquat survives
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Dell launches a Zero Client
TIN BOX FLOGGER Dell launched its first 'zero client' hardware for enterprise customers yesterday.
The FX100 is Dell's zero client product, where most processing is done by a host server. The technology is set to replace traditional thin client devices eventually. According to Dell, the FX100 has no image to manage. Instead the firmware-based decompression device provides bi-directional communication with VMware view-based virtual PCs.
It is designed to work over industry-standard IP networks in conjunction with VMware and View 4.0 supporting the capabilities of a PC, including USB, motion graphics and audio. This also means that the FX100 is much more energy efficient, secure and less likely to succumb to hardware problems.
Dell stated that the FX100 "uses PC-over-IP technology (PCoIP) to help businesses centralise client desktops while still delivering the performance and flexibility of a traditional PC."
Also on offer from Dell is an eco-warrior Optiplex 980 desktop that attempts to tick every environmentally friendly box for commercial punters.
"Our customers, including large businesses, government agencies, healthcare organisations and small, medium businesses are looking to explore overall efficiencies in their IT infrastructure which means looking at systems that enable better productivity but result in greater power and cost savings," said Brett McAnally, director of Dell's product group.
He continued, "With the OptiPlex 980 and FX100 we're helping our customers strike a balance, offering flexible solutions and services that meet their complex demands." µ
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Adam
...this client is very far from thin. You can buy two Atom laptops, or three LookBoxes, for that price.
...we used to call them "terminals".
It's called a TV set with a set-top box.
Anything with more CPU than that is a thin client, although, I don't really see what is thin about a 2GHz PC with graphics card running a multi-tasking O/S (Windows or Unix) plus a browser that needs 100MB to get going.
Most "thick" clients (e.g., a Java client app) have less of a foot-print than a web-browser.
It's all smoke and mirrors.
Pano has most of the things you mentioned as well - encoders/decoders, firmware, embedded OS, etc. It's just "hidden" inside the FPGA firmware.
Unless you just sling a DVI cable out to each user, there's no escaping the requirements for client-side processing. At that point, you can either use programmable logic (typically with an embeddded micro for high-level control) or do it all in software. Pano take the first approach, Dell take the second.
For these sorts of clients, taking the FPGA approach isn't IMO worth it over using an ARM SoC. The firmware is harder to develop and maintain than a software approach, and FPGAs have much poorer power characteristics (eg: essentially no power usage drop on idle) than "hard" CPUs.
This product from Dell is NOT a zero client - it is yet another thin client.
With a heavy duty processor, firmware updates, embedded O/S, aggressive decoders/decompressors, excessive power requirements, and endpoint management burden, Teradici is NOT a Zero Client. It is simple another version of a thin or a chubby client.
Teradici, STOP your lies.
If there is a clearly demonstrated ZERO client then it is Pano (see their recently published Zero Client reference design @ http://www.panologic.com/zero).
Regarding the debate on VDI being about OPEX and CAPEX, one has to consider where the cost problem for desktop management is. PC have been commoditized. However, the PC TCO suffers from tremendous management burden and the associated costs - break/fix, security, data loss, malware, application updates, patching etc. VDI is designed to disrupt OPEX. ONCE MICROSOFT STOPS CHARGING IN EXCESS OF $100 PER VIRTUAL DESKTOP PER YEAR (!!!), CAPEX WILL COME DOWN AS WELL. THE VDI CAPEX PROBLEM IS NOT THE ENDPOINT - IT IS MICROSOFT.