DesktopLinux
Home  |  News  |  Articles  |  Forum  |  Polls  |  Blogs  |  Videos  |  ITLink

Keywords: Match:
Linux-powered Sun Ray dazzles skeptical reviewer
Jul. 14, 2005

A Sun Linux thin client could reinvigorate network computing, reports Sean Gallagher in a hands-on review at Channel Insider. Gallagher says the Sun Ray 170 competes with Windows desktops in browser, email, word processing, and spreadsheets, outshining it in applications with mobile workers, such as retail.

(Click for larger view of Sun Ray 170 thin client)

Sun launched its long-suffering Sun Ray line hastily in the late 90s, after IBM's Lou Gerstner and Oracle's Larry Ellison began touting thin-client, network computing. Oracle long ago ditched its Edsel-like NIC (New Internet Computer), while Sun gamely held out, despite its own employees reportedly bringing laptops in from home, and conspicuously using their Sun Rays as doorstops.

Gallagher bases his praise for the Sun Ray on "about a month" spent testing a Sun Fire V20 server running SuSE Linux, Sun's Java Desktop System 2, Sun Ray Server Software 3, and a small network of Sun Ray 170 clients running an embedded Linux operating system. He writes, "If you spend most of your day in a Web-based application, in a spreadsheet or word processing document, or in e-mail, then you probably won't notice much of a difference when someone replaces your Windows PC with a Sun Ray 170 -- except possibly the additional room on your work surface."

Moreover, Gallagher says that "sexy" features give the Sun Ray high appeal in applications such as retail where workers are mobile. The new Sun Ray Server software apparently ties user sessions to personal smart cards, allowing clerks to initiate a transaction on one device, pull their card out and switch to another terminal, log in, and have their screen just as it was before.

The wall-mountable Sun Ray 170 thin client features an integrated 17-inch LCD screen supporting 1280 x 1024 resolution at 60 Hz. It has four powered USB ports, and supports most USB keyboards. Additional I/O includes two serial ports, built-in microphone, cd-quality audio I/O ports, video in port, projector port (supports 1024 x 768 or 1280 x 1024), and the ISO-7816-1 smart card port.

Gallagher's review offers interesting details about Sun's Linux-based Sun Ray 170 client, as well as an excellent dissection of the factors that have historically caused most thin-client rollouts to fail -- especially "where some flavor of Unix (and novice Unix users) was involved," Gallagher writes.

Read the full story here:

Sun Adds Glamor to Thin Clients




Related Stories:


(Click here for further information)


Approaching the Linux Desktop
The purpose of this paper is to help organizations evaluate the Linux desktop against their own enterprise needs and discover what benefits the Linux desktop might bring to their organizations.

Migrating To Linux: Application Challenges and Solutions
Several solutions exist to help organizations migrate in an orderly fashion from Windows to Linux desktops. This paper establishes the characteristics of an ideal cross-platform solution and reviews these alternatives in light of this ideal standard. The paper takes a closer look at the pros and cons of various solutions and outlines the business benefits that can be achieved.

Linux Advantages: Publicly Available Information on Linux Software
This paper offers a brief summary of readily-available Linux information to help businesses sort out this widely misunderstood operating system.

Top 5 Strategies for Managing Linux
Despite continuous evolution in the manageability of Linux, a 2006 survey cited manageability concerns as a top reason why organizations are hesitating to adopt Linux. Levanta believes Linux can be as manageable, if not more so, than other operating systems by following key strategies. These strategic recommendations were developed from experiences in numerous customer environments, both large and small.

Why Choose Novell for Linux?
This paper outlines the benefits of switching to the Linux platform and choosing Novell as a high-performance, enterprise solution.

Enterprise Linux Selection Guide
Considering moving your enterprise to the Linux operating system? Since there are so many similar versions, choosing the right one can be tough. This paper offers a clear process to help you make an informed decision and get the features, support, and cost that are right for your business and technical needs.

Overcoming Challenges in Managing Linux
Levanta has created a new administration model with innovative technology that breaks down the barriers to making the most of Linux systems. This paper will provide an in-depth look at the workings of Levanta’s product, the first Linux appliance of its kind.

SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 for Retail Businesses
Discover why major retailers have switched to SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop in the back office. SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 is a low-cost desktop that offers a complete set of productivity applications and interoperates seamlessly with the other Windows, Macintosh and UNIX desktops in your store.

Moving to a Linux Desktop
Migrating from Windows to Linux on the desktop can be a substantial undertaking because it has the potential for touching -- and perhaps disrupting -- every user in your organization. Unlike a data center (server and infrastructure) migration that is largely transparent to users, the cultural and administrative transitions and environment readiness required to support a Linux desktop migration are extensive.

Seven Good Reasons to Exchange Exchange
This paper describes seven compelling reasons why you should switch from Exchange to Scalix.

 



Got a HOT tip?   please tell us!

ADVERTISEMENT
(Advertise here)

Popular recent stories:
• Lightweight GNOME alternative emerges
• WiFi software arrives on Linux desktops
• BeOS-like distro focused on content creation
• Lenovo launches a netbook
• Linux mini-PC takes two Watts to tango
• Graphics board vendor touts faster Linux drivers
• Debian looks to launch lenny in Sept.
• Lenovo denies ditching Linux
• gOS 3.0 goes Gadget crazy
• OpenSUSE 11.0 arrives

All-time Classics:
• Choosing a desktop Linux distro
• Banshee -- the next best thing to Linux iTunes
• Running World of Warcraft on Ubuntu
• The Best Free Desktop Linux . . . and how to make it better
• A simple Linux backup method
• Linux-powered Asus Eee PC mini-laptop arrives
• The well-tempered Debian desktop
• What's the best Linux for beginners?
• Xandros 4: The best desktop Linux for Windows users
• VirtualBox: The best virtualization program you've never heard of
• Getting to know Puppy Linux


Desktop Linux books

Join our Desktop Linux discussion forums:
•  Moving to Linux
•  Linux/Windows debate!
•  Linux Q&A
. . . and more


BREAKING NEWS

• "Moonlight" ready to shine
• Adobe unleashes 64-bit Flash
• Debian Lenny installer arrives
• Ubuntu announces ARM port
• Amazon offers Linux XOs
• Windows 7 "no threat" to netbook Linux
• Creative frees Sound Blaster driver code
• Linux, netbooks threaten Microsoft's fat profits
• Ibex inspires GNOME switch
• Linux to outship Windows in 2009?
• The Intrepid Ibex ventures forth
• Crossover Office -- free for a day
• Silverlight could bring movies to Linux desktop
• Torvalds: Real quality means taking it personally
• Ubuntu "Intrepid Ibex" available


Linux-Watch headlines:
• Worst security blooper ever?
• Novell offers RHEL, CentOS support
• Windows 7 no threat to netbook Linux
• Microsoft breaks HotMail for Linux users?
• Torvalds: Real quality means taking it personally
• Opinion: open source value transcends tough times
• OpenOffice 3.0 reviewed
• Shutting down idle PCs with Linux
• Linux valued at $10.9 billion
• UK gains LPI affiliate


Visit the...


news feed

Home  |  News  |  Articles  |  Forum  |  Polls  |  About  |  Contact
 

Ziff Davis Enterprise Home | Contact Us | Advertise | Link to Us | Reprints | Magazine Subscriptions | Newsletters
Tech RSS Feeds | White Papers | ROI Calculators | Tech Podcasts | Tech Video | VARs | Channel News

Baseline | Careers | Channel Insider | CIO Insight | DesktopLinux | DeviceForge | DevSource | eSeminars |
eWEEK | Enterprise Network Security | LinuxDevices | Linux Watch | Microsoft Watch | Mid-market | Networking | PDF Zone |
Publish | Security IT Hub | Strategic Partner | Web Buyer's Guide | Windows for Devices

Developer Shed | Dev Shed | ASP Free | Dev Articles | Dev Hardware | SEO Chat | Tutorialized | Scripts |
Code Walkers | Web Hosters | Dev Mechanic | Dev Archives | igrep

Use of this site is governed by our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Except where otherwise specified, the contents of this site are copyright © 1999-2008 Ziff Davis Enterprise Holdings Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Ziff Davis Enterprise is prohibited. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.