Thin Clients

[Jay R. Ashworth]

On Fri, Nov 16, 2007 at 01:17:27AM -0500, Fairlight wrote:
> Is it just me, or did Jay Ashworth say:
> > 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.

Moving parts *and* operating systems.

Small OBCs are getting a lot cheaper, though; we're *almost* at the
point where I can do my own thinterm at $200 retail that will bolt to
the back of a VESA LCD.

That's a 10 year terminal, right there.

Cheers,
-- jra
-- 
Jay R. Ashworth                   Baylink                      jra at baylink.com
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