Maybe not the best example of a technical definition resource.
Personally, I think to call a SunRay *not* a thin client is splitting
hairs. Here are some definitions I found:
http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid7_gci213135,00.html
http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,2542,t=thin+client&i=52832,00.asp
http://www.techterms.com/definition/thinclient
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/T/thin_client.html
All of these basically say a thin client "a device or software that
allow the bulk of processing to be done on a central server" and "only
handles basic I/O or UI". Sounds like a SunRay to me. For many of
these (and others I found), the only requirement for thin client status
is to not have local storage (ie, a hard drive).
Only this one said anything about running an embedded OS:
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/thin-client.html
And this one seems to say it best:
http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Thin_client
"A thin client may be a program or a device for the execution of
thin-client application programs. Unfortunately, however, there is no
precise definition (in quantifiable terms) for when the client program
or device may be called a thin client or not."
As a final note, the great bastion of Truth on the Internet (tm),
Wikipedia, tells us that the term "thin client" was spawned within the
great halls of Oracle, itself:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin_client
(Also note this article includes the definition for "ultra-thin client",
however the article never states before this that a thin client should
necessarily have a local OS.)
Feel free to google for yourself.
In my book, SunRays are unequivocally thin clients. I'd go even further
to say they are the only *real* thin clients on the market. The rest
are all just dumbed-down PCs.
Seth
On 10/25/2010 10:07 AM, Roland Sassen wrote:
Sun Ray is not a client -thin or otherwise
ZDNet
<http://www.zdnet.com/blog/murphy/another-open-letter-to-larry-ellison/1878?alertspromo=&tag=nl.rSINGLE>
Roland
--
Seth Galitzer
Systems Coordinator
Computing and Information Sciences
Kansas State University
http://www.cis.ksu.edu/~sgsax
[email protected]
785-532-7790
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