What’s a thin client? What are the benefits and drawbacks of a thin client? Thin client vs thick client, what’s the difference? Get all answers here!

1. Title: [User Guide] What Is a Thin Client & Its Pros/Cons and Examples?
Keywords: thin client, whatisa thinclient,thinclientcomputer,thickclientvsthinclient,thinclient
os, thinclientsetup
Description: What’s a thin client? What are the benefits and drawbacks of a thin client? Thin client
vs thick client, what’s the difference? Get all answers here!
URL: https://www.minitool.com/lib/thin-client.html
Summary: This knowledge base composed by MiniTool company tells you the definition, functions,
benefits, shortcomings, as well as popular brands of the thin client. You can learn the basic
information in this library.
Thin Client Definition
What Is a Thin Client?
In computernetworking,athinclientisa simple low-performance computerthathasbeen
optimizedforbuildingaremote connectionwithaserver-basedcomputingenvironment.Withinthis
environment,the serverhandlesmostof the workincludingopeningapplications,performing
calculations,aswell as savingdata.
Thinclientcomputersplayascomponentsof a broadercomputinginfrastructure,where alotof
clientsshare theircomputationswithaserveror server farm.The server-side infrastructure makes
use of cloudcomputingprogramslike hostedshareddesktop(HSD), virtual desktop infrastructure
(VDI),andappvirtualization.
Thinclienthardware generallysupportscommonperipheralsincludingmonitors,keyboards,mice,
openportsfor USB devices(suchasflashdrive,printers,andwebcams),aswell asjacksforsound
peripherals.
Some thinclient PCsconsistof (legacy) serial orparallelportstosupportolderdeviceslike time
clocks,receiptprinters,orscales.Typically,thinclientsoftwareincludescloudaccessagents (like
ICA, RDP, or PCoIP),agraphical userinterface (GUI),alocal webbrowser,terminal emulators(for
some situations),anda basicsetof local utilities.
Tip:
 ICA refers to independentcomputingarchitecture.
 PCoIPmeansPCoverIP,a proprietary remotedisplay protocol(RDP) by Teradici company.
Thin Client OS
A ThinclientOSis an operatingsystemthatpowersathinclient,enablingthe device torun.
Advantages of Using Thin Client Technology
The thinclientcombinationformswhatiscalledacloud-basedsystem, where desktopresourcesare
centralizedatat leastone datacenter.Thiscentralizationbringssome benefitssuchasoptimization
of hardware, reducedsoftware management,andimproveddatasecurity.
1. Hardware Resource Optimization
Takingadvantage of the thinclient methodologyoptimizesthe usage of the hardware equipment
withinthe system.Forexample,bussing,input/output(I/O),andcablingcanbe minimizedwhile idle
memoryandprocessingpowercanbe assignedtousersessions where needthose resourcesmost.

2. 2. Software Maintenance Simplification
Withthe thinclientdeployment,software patchingand OSmigration canbe applied,tested,and
activatedforall usersinone instance toaccelerate roll-outandimprove administrative efficiency
thusreducingthe cost to run the whole system.
3. Security Improvement
Withinthe thinclient setup,softwareassetsare centralizedand are easily monitoredandprotected
by firewalls.The sensitive dataisuncompromisedincase of device loss.
Alsoread:[FYI] Desktopasa Service &Other“as a Service”Solutions
Disadvantages of Thin Client Technology
Thinclientshave manyadvantagesincludingthe above one.Yet,theystillhave some limitations.
 Thinclientsare extremelydependentonacontinuousInternetconnection.
 Slowernetworkthanrelyingoninternalcomputercomponents.
 Servershave tobe sizedcorrectlytodeliver the rightamountof resourcesto each client.
Think Client vs Thin Client
In contrastwiththe thinclient,there is a thickclient(alsocalled afatclient) ora conventional PC.A
thickclientalsoaimsto workina client-servermodel yethassignificantlocal processingpower.
However,aconventional personal computerintends tocarry outits functionsmostlylocally.
Best Thin Clients for Your References
Belowisa listof some of the popularthinclientsinthe market.
 Dell WYSE 3000 3040 thinclient
 RaspberryPi
 Intel GhostCanyonNUC
 LenovoThinkCentre M625q
 HP T430 thinclient
 CHUWI GBox Pro thinclientPC
 T5 Mini PC Intel Z8350 Windows10 Pro computerstick
 Traditional x86thinclients
 AcePCAK7 thinclientPC
 Acute Angle AA B4 desktopmini PC
 Azulle Access3Mini PC
 Beelink L55thinclientmini PC
 Mii Mini PC
 Minix NEOJ50C thin-clientPC
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