Scott Balneaves wrote:
On Wed, Mar 29, 2006 at 11:33:15AM -0800, Joseph Toman wrote:
I couldn't help but notice that Dell is selling their entry level PC,
complete with all the trimmings, for around $400, which is less than the
cost/client of a thin client system when you factor in the server cost,
etc..
The problem with your argument is, of course, in the "etc.." bit.
*MANAGEMENT* of a PC is a very expensive proposition. It's like a car:
anyone can buy a $400 beater. Keeping it on the road, insured, in oil,
replacing the engine, etc, is a completely different matter.
This is assuming you're buying your thin client system new and not
building it out of old hardware.
Another completely bogus assumption. *LOTS* of people re-use equipment
they've already got: in fact, the vast majority of people who come to
#ltsp are looking to do exactly that.
It is certainly an assumption, but it's not bogus. I was just restricting
the argument to the case where you had to by new hardware. Obviously
old hardware changes the equation.
So I'm wondering how one makes the case
for thin client systems when the up front cost for thick clients is
less.
Less, for what? Is that thick client gonna come with WinXP
professional? Is it gonna integrate into the network? Who's gonna set
up the corporate proxy/email/apps? Does it already come with MS
Office/OpenOffice.org installed?
You can't just unbox a thick client, plug it in, and have the user sit
down and work. You CAN however, with a thin client. Set up the app
once on the server, and everyone's got it. Make global desktop changes,
etc.
And this is a very good argument, and what I was looking for. In fact
I'm typing this on an Optiplex G1 that we found in a back room of the
library which I needed to test out. I of course pointed out for the
librarians how my desktop was exactly the same on this machine as on the
server, and how cool that was for 10 mins work.
You could claim that maintenance costs are less, but who really
maintains Win32 systems?
Uuuuhhh, huh? So, when one of our lawyers word processors doesn't
launch, or she gets a virus, we're supposed to run out and buy a whole
new machine?
I'm not claiming it's a good idea, it's just what I've seen.
Home users or small businesses certainly don't,
they can't afford the IT costs.
I guess that's why all these small businesses/home users never have
their computer literate friend over to help them get their pictures back
after a virus, or take their computer down to the local computer shop to
get it fixed, at $50.00/hr shop rates. Nope, that doesn't happen.
So you're saying that they get around the cost by having volunteer IT.
I guess that works, though it's less dependable. My experience has been
as I described, small business's buy a workstation, possibly put some
sort of
virus software on it, and slowly spyware and registry corruption turn their
new computer into a doorstop. Since this is the totality of their computer
experience, they put up with things that seem just insane to computer
professionals.
You've never done volunteer IT and wondered how they possibly get work
done on this machine?
Finally the owners can't stand how slow their system runs and they buy a
new one, losing
some or all of their data in the migration, and the cycle repeats itself.
The model seems to be that the OS
degrades at about the same rate as the hardware until the system becomes
completely unusable, at which point a new computer with a new
preinstalled version of Windows is purchased and the cycle continues. So
how do you compete with disposable computers running disposable OSes ?
Just a thought.
Yeah, you're right. I vote we shut down LTSP, and let the millions of
people in Africa, Brazil, Europe and here in North America just keep
buyin those $400 pc's.
Whoa! You've misunderstood me. I'm not advocating anything. I'm just
wondering where the economic argument
goes in the face of ever decreasing hardware costs.
J. Toman
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