Thin Clients

[Fairlight]

Is it just me, or did Jay Ashworth say:
> 
> Sure.
> 
> But the last time I checked, no one has a thinterm for anything less
> than close to $500, which is enough higher than a real PC to force the
> cost-benefit analysis; terminals, used, are maybe, what, $100?  Less?

Cost-benefit would be vastly skewed in favour of a terminal if one had a
solid state based terminal for $500ea, and it will last 20yrs, while a real
PC's expected lifespan is only 3-5 years these days.  My record is 8yrs,
but a P166 is relatively cool.  The hard drives are also the biggest fault
point, IMHO, and good luck making one last even 10yrs.  I knew a Wren-VI
that did (with soft errors, then hard errors, used in a Sun 3/60), but they
don't build them like that anymore.  If you have something ROM based, that
worry goes away.  I know 18yr old terminals that are still functional,
however.

Minimise moving parts, FTW.

mark->