Clients

Clients

Choosing the right client is critical. Within schools there is a fine balance between cost and finding a sufficient specification that will stand the test of time and meet the users requirements.

Processing power - is the client able to cope with demanding tasks such as video editing?

Memory - will the client be used for editing of large bitmap images such as photographs?

Screen size - laptops with small screens, such as netbooks, do full screen education titles require a resolution greater than that of the netbook?

For a typical user, browsing the Internet, creating typical presentations, spreadsheets and wordprocessed documents all clients will be suitable. Netbooks due to their limited screen resolution are unlikely to be suitable for presentation use and speadsheet work whilst not impossible will be frustrating on a very small screen.

However the most costly, and often least understood factor is client management. Installation, easy if you're managing just a small number of clients but quickly becomes a full time never ending effort without suitable infrastructure, correct configuration and suitable management software. The easiest way to achieve simplified management, cheaper life running costs and a more reliable and robust system is with Server Based computing, not simply "thin-clients" but also thick-client provisioning - all the benefits of thick-clients however with all the advantages of thin-client style management.

Thin-Client, Thick-Client or a mix of the two?

Choosing between thin-clients (Server Based Computing) and Think-Clients or sometimes known as Fat-Clients is a key decision.

Server Based Computing is a good way to lower operational costs, both in terms of money, upgrade cycle costs but in time both in requiring external support and internal staff support costs. True thin-client devices will out live several server refreshes proving a life span typically of 8 years or more! Their performance and ability is limited only by the servers, when upgraded on the 3-4 year cycle the clients gain all the enhancements provided by the new server equipment. The overall 3-4 year cycle is far cheaper with thin-clients than thick-clients as a result and this is where the savings truely start to show.

However Server Based Computing is not suitable for everything. It will struggle with graphic intensive tasks such as full screen high quality video, however it does cope well with typical quarter screen sized streamed video. USB devices are a weak point, other than USB storage such as digital cameras, pen drives and recording devices which present themselves as a mass storage device. Any other USB devices are unlikely to be supported over the RDP or ICA protocols.

Often a mixed approach is best. Byusing thin-clients whereever possible and then mixing in provisioned thick-clients for more demanding roles. A mixed approach gives the very best of both worlds, savings gained by using thin-clients can be passed on so a greater investment can be made with thick-clients so where thick-clients are deployed they will be a much higher specification than usually possible rather than just having a compromised spread of just average thick-clients for everything.

Thin-Clients

Beyond management, fewer replacement upgrade costs at the client end thin-clients offer many more advantages important to a school classroom:

• Size - The clients small size, and low weight allow them to be hidden away - under desks, mounted to the wall or even mounted to the back of a standard desktop TFT display. This allows more space for books, more room for the mouse to be operated freely and cables and the messy look they create can be neatly hidden away. Schools wanting to fit a greater number of clients in a small area can do, desks depth can be reduced allowing back to back rows that no only places a greater number of clients in an area but can also provide a far more spaceious working environment.
• Noise - Thin-Clients feature all solid state design, meaning no moving parts, no fans, no hard disc drive and as such provide a completely silent working environment. Compare a classroom with 16 thick-clients and switch them with 16 thin-clients the noise difference and background noise levels are surprisingly different.
• Power and Heat - Thin-Clients with fewer internal components require and consume less power. A room of thin-clients can be put onto a room master switch, less power consumption means less heat is produced which is a key advantage during the warmer Summer term.