Thin Clients

Thin clients are terminals connected to a server, thereby operating within a network. Because they have no hard disks or drives of their own, they rely on central servers for these features. Thin clients—and the even leaner zero clients—are used only to enter data, which is then transmitted to and processed by the server. Thin clients are used to display and interact with applications running and stored on the server. Their lack of hard drive and extremely lean build make thin clients an attractive, low-cost investment. In addition, they’re small and don’t emit much noise, creating a quieter office environment.

Server-based computing is particularly interesting for companies whose employees all access the same, centrally stored data. Many publishing houses, for example, use thin or zero clients. These terminals support all major Office applications, e-mail programs and web browsers. However, the more thin clients that depend on the server and the more computing power you need, the better equipped your server must be. Server-based networks are ill-suited for graphics applications and video editing, as the computing power required for processing is too much for thin clients to handle. In this case, workstations are a better alternative.

Many businesses would, by nature, benefit from a server-based computing environment. The advantages are clear: instead of installing programs at every single workstation, you would simply provision them over a server. Thin Clients just keep on getting more powerful and we’ve noticed which is why we carry a large selection of thin clients by Dell, IGEL and HP, to name just a few. These black, flat and stylish devices fit on nearly any desk. Samsung even offers ultra-space-saving, innovative versions with thin/zero clients built into displays.