Thin Client News

Linux Devices has a round-up: “Thin client terminals and systems have been around for decades, and Linux terminals have been around almost as long as Linux. Thin clients were even the focus of a brief computing craze in the late 90s, when IBM, Oracle, and Sun all launched ambitious “network computer” initiatives. The fad was shortlived, however, as Sun employees reportedly began bringing their laptops to work, and using their company-issue surplus SunRay thin clients (that no one was buying) as doorstops, while Oracle’s New Internet Computer (NIC) spinoff died a quiet death in June of 2003. A year later, though, thin is back in again, however. IBM, Novell, HP, and Red Hat have all been talking up Linux-based thin clients. Thin client marketshare leader Wyse has redoubled its Linux efforts. And, the Linux thin-client pioneers like SmartFlex and Neoware haven’t been idle, either. Even Microsoft has joined in; see this recent whitepaper for an outline of its thin client strategy.”