No I don’t think they will quit developing their products. They will continue to develop their normal thin clients like the L230 that you mention. But that series of products is simply a thin client like many others out there. The X300 is what I was talking about and they won’t continue to update that. Also, the OS that they use will have to migrate to server software, as Vista will never work. The hack that they use will not work on Vista. MS is catching up on that anyway and so are customers.

Don’t get me wrong…thin clients are the future of Software as a Service. If we are to ever get more computing power in the hands of students, we need to work this out. My problem with nComputing’s methodology is their selling this XP hack as something more than a simple thin client.

If you want to see something that is more than a thin client, check out (link) . Our school is implementing this and it has all the advantages of a server based computing environment (and it falls within MS’s licensing agreements), and it does all the things that a PC does.

¨NComputing’s multi-user technology enables greatly expanded computing capabilities by allowing up to 30 users to simultaneously access a single PC. This multi-user desktop experience supports simultaneous users at lower costs in an easy to use, set-up and maintain environment that is eco friendly. The result is a significantly lower cost of computing, on-going nmanagement and power usage that is many times better than a traditional networked PC model. Since most users only utilize a few percent of today’s powerful PCs, NComputing leverages this power with small access terminals and proven software that enables a single PC or server to support up to 30 users at once. The goal in the multi-user environment is to maintain the performance of the host computer across many users; and as long as the host CPU, memory or LAN performance is not constrained, each access terminal should operate at a speed similar to the host. NComputing supports both Linux and Windows. From Windows 2000, Windows XP to Windows Server 2000 and Windows Server 2003. Linux distributions supported include Ubuntu/Edubuntu/kubuntu, SUSE, FEDORA, DEBIAN, CENTOS, REDHAT and others. What I like about the company is their R&D, they are always researching and improving on their products. Remember the Office Station L100? Then came the NComputing L100, ad NComputing L1200, and now NComputing L130,NComputing L230. Not to forget the NComputing Xtenda X300. In East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Ethiopia, Somalia) you can contact OPENCODE SYSTEMS at (link) . Their telephone is +254-020-3560507/8, +254-722-681971, +254-721-219190¨

So do you tink NComputing is going to stop developing its products further? I compare NComputing to Microsoft in 1989. This is their beginning of a new way to do computing. As Windows was when before all we had was dos! It works on 2k3 server perfectly and will work on server 2008 when the time is right. THere is even a very easy way to make server os’s look just like your typical XP Desktop with something caled XP desktop Theme that is apart of the server 2K3 OS. It takes time for these products to develop once MS release a new OS. Not enough potential customers have started using 2008 server yet? So it doesn’t make sense for them to start supporting it until there is a healthy return on there investment. But I assure you it will happen when its time. The ERD disk does you no good if the host is in locked in a server room or at the teachers desk. Take a look at the L230 model. NComputing products are already changing education around the world including in the US. So you can call it what you want but it is helping hundreds of thousands of kids around the world have a opportunity to have access to information, thus giving them a chance to make a difference in the world we all live. Oh and by the way they are not selling it below cost. It sells for as low as $70 a workstaion and how much do you think it cost to make an X300 access terminal kit? Mr Dukker has said many times it cost very little to make these devices so again you are wrong and misinformed as you have been with most of your comments.

Their best market is the home/casual user via ISPs (or cable). Most home users simply surf the web… so the ISP can provide boxes that work through servers (Linux would be best and free)… the home users doesn’t even have to buy a computer!

Throw in TV with the service, and the user can use the same screen for computing and TV needs.

All they do is allow multiple people to log into the same machine, which actually violates Microsoft licensing!!!

I think Ncomputing had a cool idea, basically hardware initiated KVM over IP… but that’s not application sharing (citrix) virtual hosted desktops (vmware), with possibly application virtualization in the not so near future.

Read NComputings own comments regarding licensing - you are responsible, not them