1-Oct-09 School districts that have big computing needs but small budgets are turning to a more affordable solution: thin clients. Take Union School District in San Jose, Calif., which turned to thin clients to upgrade a computer lab full of aging notebook computers that broke down frequently and couldn’t support new software the teacher wanted to use.
Thin-client computing is easier to troubleshoot and manage because, in most cases, the computing infrastructure and all the applications and data are housed centrally in the data center. Thin-client devices are less expensive and consume less power than regular PCs. And because thin clients have no hard drives, fans or moving parts, they last longer — five to seven years, twice the lifespan of PCs. The technology is also more secure because students can’t change computer settings or install unauthorized software.
