Thin client networks have been around for a long time, but what are they and when is appropriate to use them? This article gives an overview thin client networks, their pros and cons, and options available.
Overview and History of Thin Client Computing
By Ian Ryder, IT Consultant, appiChar
The concept of thin client computing is not a new one – before PCs came along most large businesses used mainframe computers to process data. These generally consisted of powerful central computers that handled all data processing. Users of these computers had dumb terminals that could only handle simple text entry and display – no mice! These dumb terminals communicated directly to the central mainframe for almost everything they did.
One beauty of this set up is that support costs were minimal – in fact, modern-style IT helpdesks were relatively unheard of as there was no need to have engineers running around fixing problems. Either it was a programming problem or some piece of hardware needed replacing!
Then along came the PC. Suddenly data was being held on computers running on people’s desks. It seemed the age of centralised computing was over as users got used to graphical displays and being able to perform a number of tasks with just one computer rather than different dumb terminals for different applications.
