Posted by: weierophinney
on April 12, 2003 02:49 AM
they need to think thin-client or server-centric computing
That's precisely what needs to happen. With the rise of the PC, we started thinking of the PC as the standard unit instead of the computing environment as the standard unit. This leads to a number of big problems -- how do we make sure all data is backed up? how do we ensure that a user's data is available where and when they need it? how do we secure data that is distributed over a number of clients, any of which may be down for any number of reasons? how do we deploy applications to the entire company? Many security problems that occur are because of users setting the security on their data instead of the company; backup solutions have to worry about backing data off of each individual PC instead of just the server.
In the old days of computing, you worked off terminals connected to a mainframe, and your user environment travelled whereever you went. Users didn't have "computer envy" when their neighbor's terminal was upgraded -- because the applications were still being served from the same location. It was bliss.
My SOHO now has a gateway/firewall/web and mail server, and an applications/XDMCP server; all the other machines connect to these for their functionality. It makes switching desks with office mates trivial, we all share the speed of the server, and we have plenty of physical desktop surface due to the small size of our thin clients. It's a much better way to work.
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Re:prove to me I have a viable choice
Posted by: weierophinney on April 12, 2003 02:49 AMThat's precisely what needs to happen. With the rise of the PC, we started thinking of the PC as the standard unit instead of the computing environment as the standard unit. This leads to a number of big problems -- how do we make sure all data is backed up? how do we ensure that a user's data is available where and when they need it? how do we secure data that is distributed over a number of clients, any of which may be down for any number of reasons? how do we deploy applications to the entire company? Many security problems that occur are because of users setting the security on their data instead of the company; backup solutions have to worry about backing data off of each individual PC instead of just the server.
In the old days of computing, you worked off terminals connected to a mainframe, and your user environment travelled whereever you went. Users didn't have "computer envy" when their neighbor's terminal was upgraded -- because the applications were still being served from the same location. It was bliss.
My SOHO now has a gateway/firewall/web and mail server, and an applications/XDMCP server; all the other machines connect to these for their functionality. It makes switching desks with office mates trivial, we all share the speed of the server, and we have plenty of physical desktop surface due to the small size of our thin clients. It's a much better way to work.
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