I looked at two thin client units that take different approaches but deliver similar functionality. Both DoubleSight Displays' Neotus and Wyse Technology's Winterm S30 use the computing resources of a host PC connected through an Ethernet LAN port. Both function as remote clients using Microsoft Windows Remote Desktop Connection (RDP) or Citrix Metaframe function. But unlike typical RDP or Citrix clients, these systems are not equipped with disk drives or disk-based operating systems, thus reducing the requirement for maintenance and updates normally required of standard PCs.

Wyse Technology's Winterm S30
Wyse Technology has been in the business of manufacturing terminals for many years, and has translated its expertise to the thin client market. The Winterm S30 is the size of a small Ethernet switch but is equipped with the same set of connectors you would find on a PC, including monitor, serial, Ethernet, speaker, microphone, and four USB 2.0 ports. It runs Windows CE 5.0 and operates without a fan, so there's no hum -- a nice change from the standard PC. The QuickStart sheet is less than a half a page long (if you don't count the French, German, and Spanish sections), and basically says "Plug it in." Once connected, powering up the unit displays the setup wizard on screen.

I chose the RDP rather than the Citrix client, and identified the IP address of my host computer. As soon as the S30 connected to my Windows XP Pro with Terminal Services enabled, the standard Windows login screen appeared and I was able to log in. Simple enough.

I ran Microsoft Office 2003 and Internet Explorer without any problem. The S30 was connected through by 100Base-T to a 1.3Ghz P-4 host. I ran the same applications on both the host and the S30, and was unable to notice any differences in response times working on either.

The Winterm S30 unit is a solid performer. At a cost of $380 without a monitor, it's not significantly less expensive than a low-end PC,, but it could reduce tech support costs.. The system can be managed remotely by Wyse's Rapport client management software, which is a separate option available from Wyse.

DoubleSight Displays' Neotus
The Neotus from DoubleSight Displays combines a 17-inch LCD with the company's WoIP (Windows over IP) PC Expanion technology to deliver an all-in-one thin client unit. The monitor includes standard PC connectors for keyboard, mouse, and LAN, and also has both analog and digital video inputs. However, no USB ports are available. While the Neotus uses the PC-Expanion software running on a host PC, it can also connect to Microsoft Remote Desktop, but there is no Citrix client.

I installed the PC Expanion software on a host PC running Windows XP (while the system also supports Windows 2000, it does not support Windows 2003 Small Business Server). I then connected the Neotus to my wired network and turned the unit on. A setup wizard discovered my host computer and let me confirm that I wanted to attach to it. During installation of the PC Expanion software, I chose not to enable users and passwords; however the system does support user logins.

I ran Microsoft Office 2003 and Internet Explorer without any problems. Like the Winterm, there were no performance issues when running the same applications on both the host and the Neotus. DoubleSight recommends connecting up to ten units to a properly-configured host. For ten users, that means a minimum host configuration of a 3.2GHz Pentium 4 with 2GB RAM.

Neotus is expected to begin shipping in mid-April with a street price around $550 for the 17-inch display. Like the Winterm S30, the Neotus makes a good choice for network administrators faced with but the problem of keeping ahead of the maintenance and support issues that come with additional users.

Winterm S30
Wyse Technology
Price: $380
www.wyse.com

Neotus
DoubleSight Displays
Price: $550
www.doublesight.com