Are the use of thin-clients an appropriate substitute for full workstations? Are they meant for small-company IT use, or are they only useful for large implementations. What are the perks and disadvantages for implementing such a solution in the workplace?
In what sort of environment do thin-client machines shine
thin-client
Best Answer
Major benefits of thin clients include:
Disadvantages to using thin clients:
So a thin client shines in situations where the work done is of a simple office nature (mainframe, data entry, filing, telemarketing, etc) - where performance per PC is low.
In those cases the benefits (lower maintenance, more control) outweigh the slightly higher cost relative to performance - in other words, you're paying a bit more per mip on thin clients than you would for a regular computer, but the regular computer has way more power than what's needed, so you'll still save money going with the thin client.
In cases where the user needs higher performance, regular computers will often be the best bang for the buck. Otherwise you'll end up buying a hugely overpriced server for each few users, plus the thin clients on top of that.
-Adam