Small and sexy, this tiny device works as well as it looks. Hailed by some as the future of computing, we found that it could do the job of a desktop four times its size.
Thin clients are becoming more popular these days, despite a slow start when they first arrived on the computing scene three years ago. Such devices are essentially a return to the days of host-based computing, though it would be rather unfair to call thin clients "dumb terminals".
What's much smarter is that instead of glowing green text on a monochrome screen, users of thin clients can experience full-colour, multi-tasked Windows computing; so much so that they would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between using a thin client and a PC.
Cheaper in the long run
Potentially large savings in total cost of ownership (TCO) are the main appeal of thin clients -- almost everything can be taken care of remotely by the tech support desk. With no hard disk or PCI cards to take care of, robustness is built into thin clients, which are completely solid-state.
One reason for their growing popularity of late has been the increasing sophistication of the third-party back-end tools designed to fully realise the promise of thin client computing, when only hype existed before.
Another big boost has been the introduction of terminal services in Windows NT and 2000, which allow for the sharing of server resources by connected clients. The de facto standard among host-based software tools is Metaframe and Winframe from Citrix, which runs on top of the server OS.
Also, in hardware terms, IT departments have more choice these days. They can choose client terminals with varying features, from manufacturers both big and small.
The Evo Thin Client T20 from Compaq is the latest entrant in the US firm's line of such devices.
Small and stylish
One cannot help but be struck by its cutting-edge style, as befits a device aimed at firms willing to undertake a cutting-edge computing paradigm. The size of a cable modem or a paperback book, this is probably the best-looking desktop computing device around.
Specifically made for Windows-based servers, the T20 is aimed at travel agencies, call centres and reservation centres and other workplaces which have to execute a large volume of server transactions.
The T20 also has a rich array of terminal emulation modes, so that businesses can still keep their investments in legacy green-screen server apps while at the same time, allowing users to tap into graphical desktop apps like Word, Powerpoint and Excel -- all shared off the Windows server of course.
Unlike thin clients from other makers, Compaq has boldly done away with legacy ports such as serial and parallel, instead focusing exclusively on USB. Of course, the video and network (Ethernet) ports remain. There is also a mic in and a sound line out.
Our test T20 came with Windows NTe resident in flash memory; there's also a version with Windows CE installed.
Testing
Our test was done with one T20 connected to a Windows 2000 machine with Citrix Metaframe XP installed, over a 100 Mbs network.
With Metaframe's easy-to-use admin tools, we "published" Internet Explorer, Excel and Word (installed on the server) to the user of the T20.
The boot time of the T20 was under 30 seconds; logging in was similarly straightforward. Surfing the Net, checking email and using the MS Office apps were done as if using a normal PC; no lag or other performance penalty was felt.
The supplied keyboard, unfortunately, had a sticky, unresponsive feel, marring the otherwise impressive experience.
Also, the T20 is out of the question if you need legacy devices such as certain specialised serial-port printers or bar-code scanners to be connected to the end-user terminal.
Do note that the tests were not done under server load. Compaq recommends that analysts do careful metrics before rollout. There are several tools from Compaq and Citrix that allow admins to decide how many servers are needed for optimal performance, based on number of users, network topology and server hardware.
Conclusion
The falling prices of PCs means that at AU$895, the T20 is not very much cheaper than a desktop computer. Coupled with the cost of servers, server software and network upgrades, the initial cost of acquisition may be even higher than rolling out standard PCs, if a company is starting from scratch.
However, over time, it's hard not to see how savings will accrue. There's almost nothing to break down or maintain on the T20; there's no hard disk to crash or corrupt; there's no operating system to reinstall due to bad drivers or .dlls; users can't install unauthorised software that gum up the works.
With the T20, Compaq has delivered a mature, well-designed tool for businesses that take a long-term view of costs.
Compaq Evo T20 Thin Client
Company: Compaq Australia
Ph: 13 23 93
Price: AU $895
Availability in Australia: Now
Rating:
Specs:
Processor: 300 MHz;
Memory: 16 and 48 MB Flash, upgradeable to 256 MB Flash; 32 and 64 MB DRAM, upgradeable to 256 MB DRAM;
Protocol: Integrated Microsoft RDP and Citrix ICA 3 protocols and terminal personalities standard;
Display support: VESA monitor support, scaleable video up to 1280 x 1024 16-bit colour, up to 85-Hz refresh rate;
Audio output: 1/8-inch mini, full 16-bit stereo, 44-KHz sample rate;
Input: 1/8-inch mini microphone;
Networking: TCP/IP with DNS and DHCP, 10/100BaseT Fast Ethernet, twisted pair (RJ-45), Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP);
Communications: Four USB ports;
ICA remote dial-up via external modem;
Communication protocols: RDP and ICA 3;
Terminal personalities supported: Wyse WY-60, WY-50, WY-50+; IBM TN3270e, TN5250, TN3151, DEC VT420, ADDS A2, Hazeltine 1500, Tandem 6530, and SCO Console resident;
Resident operating system: Microsoft Windows CE Operating System for Thin Clients or Windows NT;
Server OS compatibility/support: Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition, Microsoft Windows 2000, Citrix WinFrame, Citrix MetaFrame
Physical characteristics: height / width at base / depth 22.6 cm (8.9 in) / 9.9cm (3.9 in) /17.4 cm (6.9 in);
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