• LTSP Thin Client Server
• Supports up to 15 Thin Clients
• LTSP Term 1720 or 1620 Thin Clients
• Edubuntu or Ubuntu OS 12.04 or 10.04
• Ships Ready To Install / Integrate into Network

Today, we are announcing the DLW Serv n15, a ready-to-go Thin Client Server for up to 15 thin client devices. The DLW Serv n15 is priced at $549.95 and comes with the latest version of Edubuntu or Ubuntu operating systems and LTSP installed. Before shipping, LTSP (the Linux Terminal Server Project) is configured and thoroughly tested, leaving little work for system administrators and ensuring desktop PC like performance on the thin client devices.

Running 15 thin clients, the DLW Serv n15′s cost per device comes in just under $37 / thin client. System administrators can now manage a LAN based Linux thin client environment that requires little maintenance or technical support. With the very low total cost of ownership and other benefits like running LTSP Thin Clients with no moving parts, the cost of this computing solution becomes hard to ignore.

The DLW Serv n15, is an HP Micro Server with a dual core processor, 2GB of memory, a 250GB hard drive, and two Gigabit network cards. With the proper LTSP configuration this server can comfortably run 15 thin clients as users browse the web, read and send e-mail, and interact with documents.

For the organization looking for something more, DisklessWorkstations.com offers options. Deploying Linux based thin client solutions since 1999, DisklessWorkstations.com can deliver solutions to support tens of thousands of thin clients, customize and lock-down the operating system, integrate with other network services (ex: authentication, storage), and more.

Buy the DLW Serv n15 from our store.
Research compatible thin clients, the 1700 Series and 1600 Series.

Questions?

Call Us! 888-359-5877
E-mail Us! sales@DisklessWorkstations.com

Here’s 3 compelling reasons to move your organization to Google Apps today.

1. Live Collaboration
   When I’m working with colleagues on a project plan, building a document with multiple contributors, or creating new financial models nothing is more helpful than Google Docs. We build our documents and spreadsheets together. I can see who is typing what and where they are putting their two cents; everyone is literally on the same page. 

   Try the in document live chat tool to talk with your team. If chat isn’t good enough, fire up your webcam’s with Google Hangout and collaborate face-to-face, anytime, anywhere.

2. Access From Anywhere
   Have a web browser? You’re good to go. You can access Google Apps from multiple browsers on almost any operating system you can imagine. Want mobile access? Access documents on the go with the Google Docs and Drive App’s from your Android, iPhone, or iPad.

3. Low Barriers To Entry with Gmail
   Any organization evaluating a switch in essential applications must consider training and migration costs. Fortunately, Google Docs has migration tools available to help move your data into the cloud. 

   What are the chances your co-workers already have a personal Gmail account?
   
   Good? Switching to Gmail is a great foot-in-the-door with minimal training investment required. Moving beyond Gmail to Google Docs and other Google Apps becomes just a matter of time.

Google states over 4,000,000 businesses have already switched to Google Apps, including notables like NOAA, Virgin America, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Konica Minolta. Not only will you have shared calendars, and shared documents. You can collaborate in real time with your peers all around the world.

When you look at the price of competing applications and productivity suites on a per user basis, $5 a month or $50 a year becomes increasingly attractive.

Want to Learn More?

Scroll through our Google Apps for Businesses page at DisklessWorkstations.com

or

Evaluate your cost to switch with Google’s Gone Google Tool

At DisklessWorkstations.com we believe “If you sell it, you should use it”. Google Apps has been a valuable tool for both organization and collaboration in our company. Now we are helping our customers make the switch too. We’ve helped customers deploy Gmail, Google Docs, and even implemented Thin Client Solutions with Single-Sign-On to Google Services.

Keeping software current on thin clients has always been a challenge. As most organizations buy thin clients with the intention to use them for 5 or more years, many system administrators find that the local embedded image is out of date, hard to manage, and new software solutions are requiring an upgrade. Here’s 3 steps to an easy upgrade.

Whether you have 10 thin clients or thousands that you need to upgrade in a single physical location, an LTSP Thin Client Server can be the ideal solution. Here’s how:

1) Prepare Your Network Infrastructure

With LTSP, the thin client operating system image is delivered over the local area network connection via PXE and TFTP. Among the many other benefits from an IT administrators perspective, you only have to manage a single image on the thin client server.

Network Infrastructure Steps:

Consider DHCP Options
Use Current DHCP Server?
Use LTSP Thin Client for DHCP?

Prepare Thin Clients
Set BIOS to Network / LAN Boot

2) Configure LTSP for Optimal Thin Client Performance

LTSP is integrated into many of the most popular Linux distributions including Ubuntu and OpenSUSE. If your thin clients have less than 512MB of RAM and a slower processor, you should consider running all server-based applications. Have newer models with better specifications? Look into Local Apps and Fat Client options within LTSP for optimal performance.

Configuration Steps:

• Start By Trying The Default Linux Desktop With the OS You Choose
• Less Than 1GHz CPU and 512MB RAM?
  • Use Server-based Apps
• 1GHz CPU and 512MB+ RAM?
  • Try Local Apps / Fat Client

3) Customize To Your Hearts Content

With Linux in play, customization options (which can have a big impact on performance) are almost overwhelming. From a lightweight desktop environment, to transparently booting up a Windows login prompt, the thin client image can be anything you imagine possible.

Customization Steps:

• Don’t Like The Default Desktop Environment?
  • Try a Lightweight Window Manager
• Want to Use Rdesktop, FreeRDP, VMware View or Another Connection Broker?
  • Configure LTSP to Skip the Desktop Environment

Some of the thin client models we’ve helped upgrade for our customers at DisklessWorkstations.com include models like the HP t5540, t5530, t5520 and many other Desktop PCs and popular thin clients.

Wondering if you can upgrade your old thin clients? Ask us in the comments, or contact us.

Helpful Links:
Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP)
Ubuntu LTSP  Community Documentation
LTSP Do-It-Yourself Tutorial Videos (YouTube)

Your Ubuntu / Android Smartphone would serve as your phone and connect to various displays in different modes (including Ubuntu TV) to serve as a universal computing device. The approach is rather logical in our opinion, and the announcement has been well received by the community (see Jono Bacon’s blog post).

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

LTSP (the Linux Terminal Server Project) creates a thin client environment over a local area network. LTSP Thin Clients, also known as diskless workstations, receive their operating system from a network server without using local device storage. LTSP is often paired with network based user authentication and management solutions to create a complete computing environment.

At UWindsor, switching to the LTSP thin client solution was driven by the need for an increased variety in applications and developer tools without sacrificing performance. Keys to success included a load balanced and virtualized server operating system as well as the local apps functionality within LTSP. Local apps (applications) utilize client side resources instead of solely relying on the server. This LTSP configuration reduces network traffic and allows demanding applications (e.g. flash or java in the browser) to perform like they are running on a full desktop PC.

Students, faculty, and staff access their desktop environment and files from one of over 100 thin clients spread throughout the school. The LTSP Thin Clients are used to browse the web, write code, and edit documents. CS students have access to the latest essential applications for their curriculum including: Eclipse, LibreOffice, Matlab, Maple, and Programming Languages (LISP, Prolog, Haskell, C++, Java, Miranda).

“The maintenance of LTSP is pretty much zero. Once it was setup, it was very reliable and stable. Adding a new thin client literally takes a few seconds.” – Stephen Karamatos, Systems Analyst

Zero device management, reliability and stability are among the many benefits UWindsor realized by switching to LTSP. By repurposing SunFire servers and a Sun NAS 7410 cluster, the school was able to avoid significant infrastructure upgrade costs. The load balanced and virtualized server operating system provides autonomy and flexibility for system administrators. Additional cost savings are recognized due to no license fees, less time spent on support, and the streamlined maintenance of more than 100 end user devices serving over 1000 users.

Related Links
DisklessWorkstations.com – LTSP Thin Client Hardware and Solutions
UWindsor School of Computer Science – Facilities Description
Linux Terminal Server Project – Open Source Project LTSP

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds
LTSP is a registered trademark of DisklessWorkstations.com, LLC
Sun, SunFire, Solaris and Sun Ray are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or it’s Affiliates
Ubuntu is a registered trademark of Canonical, Ltd.

“WebOS is the only platform designed from the ground up to be mobile, cloud-connected and scalable,” Meg Whitman, HP president and chief executive officer, said in a statement.

PC Magazine Article

Bloomberg Article

Engadget Article

Microsoft Windows Embedded Device Manager is designed to provide improved end-user device management, specifically for thin client devices. This is an important move for HP and Thin Clients, as HP customers have sought after improved management of thin client devices for many years. Microsoft offers the solution as an extension of System Center Configuration Manager 2007 and is prepared to manage Thin Clients, P.O.S, Digital Signage, and Kiosks. Windows Embedded Device Manager 2011 requires System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 to deploy.

Windows Embedded Device Manager will support the following platforms:

• Windows Embedded Standard 7
• Windows Embedded Standard 2009
• Windows Embedded POSReady 7
• Windows Embedded POSReady 2009
• Windows Embedded for Point of Service (WEPOS)
• Windows XP Embedded
• Windows Thin PC

The pricing for Windows Embedded Device Manager Server is as follows:

• Standard – $325.00 USD
• with SQL Sever Technology – $735.00 USD
• Client Management License – $25.00 per OSE or per user

For more information about deploying Windows Embedded Device Manager Contact DisklessWorkstations.com

Read the HP Press Release

Visit the Microsoft Windows Embedded Device Manager Site

The following video tutorials will teach you how to setup a Linux terminal server. Start by installing the operating system on your server. Edubuntu 10.04 is used in this example. The same instructions can be followed when using Ubuntu 10.04, Ubuntu 10.10, Ubuntu 11.04 and other Ubuntu/debian based Linux distributions. Optional configurations for your Linux terminal server setup include setting up an RDP (remote desktop protocol) connection broker, as well as configuring local applications (Local Apps).

Step 1: Server Operating System Installation (Edubuntu 10.04)

Step 2: Install LTSP (Linux Terminal Server Project) on the Server

Optional Advanced Configurations

Configure for Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)

Configure Thin Clients to Utilize Local Apps

More questions about configuring a Linux terminal server?

Contact DisklessWorkstations.com