OS X Thin Client Server Centric Model
Does anyone know if Apple is planning to release a OS X Thin Client?
This would be a great way to break out of the SOHO and into small & mid sized companies.
Think about it, does Fred in accounting really need a 17" iMac with a huge HD and iMovie?
A thin client would be a cost effective way to bring OS X to Corp America. Sun Micro has a ?Sun Ray? thin client for Solaris and Wyse makes thin clients for Windows.
This would be a great way to break out of the SOHO and into small & mid sized companies.
Think about it, does Fred in accounting really need a 17" iMac with a huge HD and iMovie?
A thin client would be a cost effective way to bring OS X to Corp America. Sun Micro has a ?Sun Ray? thin client for Solaris and Wyse makes thin clients for Windows.
Comments
In other words, Netbooting has existed for a while...
Screed
*They were arranged in a giant iMac wall.
<strong>Does anyone know if Apple is planning to release a OS X Thin Client?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Isn't that what <a href="http://forums.appleinsider.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=002614"; target="_blank">this thread</a> was about?
That thread is more about ultra-low priced, standalone Macs. No?
Tangentially, <a href="http://www.neoware.com"; target="_blank">Neoware</a>-type boxes are effectively just a video card and bootable LAN card that runs WindowsCE or Linux. Microsoft's <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/smartdisplay/default.asp"; target="_blank">Mira</a> appears to be a video display with a wireless connection.
I think Apple won't do thin clients because they have the software to mimic a lot of the advantages of them without making low margin boxes. Namely, Remote Desktop Client and OS X Server.
An Apple Thin Client would be the previously discussed "headless iMac".
But the question is "Why?" This might be good for the education market, but pointless as an attempt to get into the enterprise field. Corporate networks are 96% Windows desktops with Windows server in the IT department. Until OS X does seamless Active Directory integration, it's a lost cause no matter how cheap the box.
Screed
Neat stuff, wish Apple would do something like this... Would be great for both the Educational market AND the Enterprise market...
<strong>I cannot remember which OS it was, 9 or X, but there were 49 (7x7) iMacs all Netbooting off of one PowerMac G4 Server...
Neat stuff, wish Apple would do something like this... Would be great for both the Educational market AND the Enterprise market...</strong><hr></blockquote>
Ah-ha! The wall of 50 iMacs was in my first draft of my post. But I thought I was confusing it with a Quicktime Streaming demo. ...OR one of the very first Firewire demo... (Steve unplugging and replugging a harddrive while the video played).
The education area can use them fine, but the enterprise area is so gated about the software that I have little hope -- and I should know since I work in higher education administration -- kind of one foot in education and one foot in enterprise. Most of the Macs were wiped out here because there is no Microsoft Access for Macs. We're now more smartly moving to Web/Entrprise Server (read: mainframe) apps but the damage has been done.
If we were to do thin clients, 80% chance they would be Windows thin clients.
Screed