Thin client question - (I think?)

[Patton Echols]

On 02/23/2008 08:44 AM, Dave Woyciesjes wrote:
> Brian McKee wrote:
>   
>> On Fri, 2008-02-22 at 23:11 -0800, Patton Echols wrote:
>>
>>     
>>> My suggestion was to have one fairly robust XP box, replace all the 
>>> other desktops with lightweight linux diskless "thin clients."   (Is 
>>> that the correct term?)  I envision something like a DSL box 
>>> http://tinyurl.com/b6l35 that uses something like terminal server client 
>>> to remote to the XP box where everyone logs in.  Windoze would then do 
>>> the authentication of each user to it's server and (license issues 
>>> aside) 1/2 dozen or so users can all work simultaneously. 
>>>       
>> You have the concept right.  But, the server has to be a Windows Server
>> product, not XP, and Windows Terminal Server (as I understand it - I'm
>> not a user of that product) requires a license for every computer that
>> attaches to it - a CAL (Client Access License)  IIRC it comes with 5 and
>> every one past that is extra.  Those CALs might be enough money to
>> negate the gains from a linux client.
>>
>> This is exactly how things like HP's thin client (which runs Debian)
>> work, or boxes like the koolu work
>> http://koolu.com/Koolu-WE-Appliance/Works-Everywhere-Appliance.html
>>
>> Citrix works on that principle too, but I don't know their pricing
>> model.
>>
>> If you want to try it - you can get a demo version of Windows Server
>> 2008 that works for 3 months or so and 'have at it' as a proof of
>> concept.
>>     
>
> 	Yep you are pretty darn close. I setup a Windows Server 2003 Standard 
> box at work. There are 2 licensing schemes for it, one is per seat, and 
> the other I don't recall at the moment. Sorry... But a search on Google 
> (BTW, Google is a name, proper noun, _not_ a verb!) turned these up:
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/technologies/terminalservices/default.mspx
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/823313
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/techinfo/overview/termservlic.mspx
>
>   

Thanks, I have not read those yet, but some of my -googling- er, sorry 
searching on Google indicates that windows terminal server is also the 
service that provides remote desktop on XP pro, but it is only enabled 
for single users.  I found one alternative called elusiva 
http://www.elusiva.com/  At US$249 for 5 connections, I wonder if it is 
cheaper than win 2003 server.  More reading to do I guess . . .