Understanding Thin-Client/Server Computing (Strategic Technology Series)

From nontechnical managers to IT professionals, everyone with responsibility for networks wants answers to the problem of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). And this book provides what may be the hottest answer yet. Here's thorough coverage of thin client technology for Microsoft Windows and Windows NT-technology that gives simple machines (even dumb terminals) the power to run advanced Microsoft applications from a server. Here readers will learn how this technology simplifies updates, configuration, and maintenance.

Sun and Netscape have tried to get a lot of mileage from studies that show the cost of the typical corporate PC at $3K to buy, $13K/yr to maintain. The flaw in their NC alternative is: where's the software? Citrix has pioneered the Windows terminal approach in their WinFrame product, which lets you run sophisticated Windows apps, such as Word 97, from any platform that has a Citrix client on it, be it a Mac, a legacy Unix workstation, or even a 286 running DOS over a 28K modem connection,. Since the app resides on the server side, update, configuration, and many maintenance issues drop like flies. The user's machine doesn't even have to have the flexibility to be mis-configured, and the user defaults/privileges can be driven from the log-in to provide a consistent desktop and access rights from any machine. Microsoft will be supporting this technology in NT 5.0 under the code name Hydra–as a TCO solution that combines all the appeal of the NC with the installed app base of Windows, expect it to be hot!