On Fri, Nov 14, 2008 at 11:51 AM, Glen Johnson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > We have hoped to save some money over the long haul but we are pretty sure > we wont save any $$ the first year or so.
Yah. Hardware is cheap. Up front, most money is about software licenses and support contracts. And most of the payware companies have been sure to update their licenses to account for that. For Microsoft, for example, you still need a regular Windows CAL, and then you need the TS CAL, which offsets most of the savings of not buying a Windows client OS license. And you need an Office seat, Exchange CAL, etc. Adobe, Oracle, etc., most of the big players are all the same way. So you still end up paying about the same. Depending on the thin client, maintenance may be a little cheaper, since you don't have to worry about hard drive failures. But the rest is still there (keyboard, mouse, PCBs, etc.). I don't know what the long term picture is going to be like. Maybe if we get to keep the same thin client terminal in service for 20 years (instead of 4 to 8 like a conventional desktop) they'll pay off, but if manufactures retire support to keep their cash flow up, we won't gain anything there. The biggest savings is most likely to be in deployment and application support, especially over time, since everything is centrally located now. Some places have recycled some of their old PCs to thin client duty with a Linux RDP client. It works, but it doesn't give people that shiny new hardware feeling, which is significant. Appearances matter. I don't think the Linux RDP client does sound or printers yet, either. -- Ben ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~
