Compaq To Unveil Its First Fixed Thin Clients

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September 10, 1999 (3:47 AM EDT)

Compaq To Unveil Its First Fixed Thin Clients

Compaq said it plans to introduce its first thin-client desktop system in early October.

Where some vendors seek to differentiate their thin-client hardware by touting unique features and functionality, Compaq concedes its hardware is pretty similar to others and offers generic thin-client functionality, with the ability to run Windows NT Server Terminal Server Edition and Citrix Systems' MetaFrame applications.

Compaq said the features and functionality of thin-client hardware is not important. Instead, what Compaq sees as important to thin client users is the company's ability to offer users one-stop shopping for thin clients, conventional PC desktops, Intel-architecture and Unix servers, storage, and servers, the company said.

Users value the kind of accountability a single-vendor solution offers, said Ben Williams, director of displays and peripherals product marketing at Compaq.

"It gives you one throat to choke," Williams said at the Citrix iForum '99 conference.

The desktop system will be available in the fourth quarter, with two models, one running Windows CE and another running Linux. The Linux system will be designed for users who require a browser resident on the thin client itself, rather than the Windows NT server. A desktop browser frees up network bandwidth and server processor power for other applications. The Linux model will also be designed for users who desire a product without the "taint" of Microsoft.

Both models will have a PCMCIA slot, two USB ports, and two serial ports for peripherals such as a digital camera, barcode scanner, or modem. The models will also have ports for a microphone and a printer.

Compaq already has a mobile thin client product, the Compaq Aero 8000, a sub-notebook running the Windows CE operating system. This machine has the Citrix client embedded in ROM, and connects to networks with a wireless PCMCIA card that runs at 2 megabits per second, and will support 11 Mbps speeds in the fourth quarter. The base station has a range of 200 feet, and is 802.11 compliant. The Aero 8000 is designed for people who roam around a campus or factory shop but still need network connectivity.