RETHINKING THE PC.

• Author: FONTANA, JOHN

SLIMMED-DOWN THIN CLIENTS WIN CONVERTS THROUGH LONG-TERM COST SAVINGS, AS OPPOSED TO THEIR PC COUNTERPARTS

WHEN DAVE GALLAHER NEEDED

A WAY TO PROVIDE A COMPUTERIZED MAP OF JEFFERSON COUNTY TO THOUSANDS OF EMPLOYEES, THE DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY FOR COLORADO'S LARGEST COUNTY TRIED USING A NETWORK OF 2,500 HIGH-POWERED DESKTOP PCs. BUT OUTFITTING EACH ONE WITH THE REQUIRED SOFTWARE TURNED INTO A NIGHTMARE OF CRASHES AND COST-OVERRUNS. GALLAHER FINALLY HAD TO SCRAP IT ALL AND COME UP WITH A NEW PLAN.

HIS SAVIOR? IRONICALLY, IT'S A SETUP REMINISCENT OF THE MONOLITHIC MAINFRAME COMPUTERS OF OLD THAT CHURNED AWAY IN AIR-CONDITIONED BACK ROOMS WHILE LEGIONS OF OFFICE WORKERS ENTERED DATA AT TERMINALS WITH DRAB GREEN SCREENS.

With a little updating, yesterday's "dumb" terminal -- so-called because it lacked any computer processing power of its own -- has turned into today's "thin client," a low-powered desktop computer outfitted with a display terminal, keyboard and mouse, and attached to a powerhouse computer called a server.

Experts say thin clients are cheaper to maintain, have a much more gradual learning curve than the PC and rarely fail. But they warn that there are drawbacks, including reliance on high-powered, expensive computer servers and a network to connect servers to the terminals. If either the server or the network fails, it can bring a horde of workers to a screeching halt.

The same experts, however, say such risks can be mitigated, and companies with lots of expensive PCs or IT staffing pressures are prime candidates to consider thin clients.

"We are so enthused with our results, we are moving all Jefferson County applications to thin client," Gallaher said.

The term "thin client" draws a comparison to "fat client" PCs, which are high-powered computers loaded down with extras, such as a CD-ROM drives, massive hard drives to store applications, and files and programs that often get little or no use.

Today, most companies use what is called client/server technology, where the PC -- or client -- provides an intelligent desktop workstation, capable of running its own applications. The client has the option of accessing data from a server that is maintained in a centralized computer room, but the client doesn't rely on the server for processing power.

The thin client, by contrast, relies on a server for its lifeblood. The server, using a piece of specialized software, becomes the brains for the thin client, running all applications and providing all file storage. The thin client merely takes input from the person sitting in front of it.

Unlike the dumb terminals of old, however, the thin client provides a rich graphical interface, such as the handy little buttons and icons that users click on to start applications and find files. In fact, many users cannot tell the difference between their PC of old and a new thin client, except that they no longer have a bulky computer case sitting on their desks.

The key advantage that thin clients have over PCs is a lower "total cost of ownership," meaning they demand less maintenance, don't require costly software installations and are easier to learn to use.

THIN-CLIENT CONVERTS

For Jefferson County's Gallaher, thin clients mean no longer having to visit every employee's desk to install new applications and rarely having to respond to distraught employees frantic over PC crashes.

It was just those issues that spelled failure for his 1996 project, which aimed to provide a computerized map that would enable police officers...