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Your requests doesn't mention cost but since you mentioned RP I suspect it's tight. However going cheap isn't always the least cost option. Unless of course your time is worth nothing. I have worked in an environment using ClearCube Blade center PC's doing PCoIP to Zero Clients (No OS on client) and it worked really well. We needed high power systems so we had dedicated blade PC's in a 2U backplane but they offer VDI solutions if your needs are more modest. You basically plug an Ethernet cable (Fiber is also available) and power into the client. The CD9742 is a quad DVI client so it meets your intended use goals.

How about a Fat client that has the utility of a Thin client? I have worked with a blade network from ClearCube where all of the "Desktops" are blades in a 2U rack backplane. Depending on your specific needs they support KVM Extension, RDP, PC-over-IP, PC-over-Ethernet and VDI. With PC-over-Ethernet they even support 4 Monitors at the desk utilizing an Nvidia Workstation graphics chipset. The backplane allows the admin to reroute each PC to a different location on the fly. Should one PC fail the automated backup restore feature makes a crashed HDD a minor inconvenience rather than a devastating event.

I support an energy trade floor and got to demo the beta of the Extio over a year ago. We currently have a mixed environment where every trader has a laptop and a blade that resides in our server room. The big plus for us with this device is it turned the laptops into 4 monitor blades because you can connect to it via an expresscard slot. I can say that the blades which push an Nvidia Quadro over cat5 is always washed out whereas the Extio looked very crisp and clear.

*Anything* can be done...ClearCube Technology can send VGA 200 Meters on CAT5, http://www.clearcube.com/ but that does not mean it is to spec.

BTW how much did that cable cost?

Yes "Linux ready" :-)

http://www.clearcube.com/controller/pc_blade.php

Here's a link containing some more detailed information about ClearCube's technology.

So...thin clients are back in vogue yet again...let's see if they stick this time. With the Blade Desktop's modular architecture and ability to run the KVM over standard, existing LAN infrastructure, this iteration might have a shot.

the thing that prevents Clearcube from rolling it to a home use environment is that the break-even point for when it's cost effective to buy a rack and infrastrucuture to support the headless servers in the back room ends up being equal to the cost of eight or ten brand new standalone PC's... and I don't know how many family members with laptops YOU have, but I don't know anyone who has eight state-of-the-art PC's in their home.

disclaimer: I have at least six or seven PC's at home now, but one of them is a P3600, one is a Toshiba Pentium Pro laptop, one is my wife's work laptop... etc etc etc.

Thin clients are where it's at. Today there is no reason anyone needs a full computer tower at their desk: go thin clients with Blades back in the server room. Everytime we hire someone I just cringe at how much hardware gets thrown their way.

This looks like the future if you ask me: Clear Cube.

CB

blade desktops? (assuming you've not already got the hardware?).
I've just read an article about them at ZDNet.
Looks like the main manufacturer at the moment is ClearCube, although HP are about to get in on the act.

I am the network admin at a small manufacturing company (~300 people, including plant workers). With the ever-increasing number of workstations available to low-skilled workers (especially after hours), there is a great temptation to mess around with the computer when the boss isn't looking. We've had hard drives and RAM stolen (solution), people drawing "creative" wallpaper in MS Paint (solution), and all sorts of other unproductive stuff.

I'd love to be able to trust ALL network users, but unfortunately it is not possible in a manufacturing facility. If this was purely an office setting, then our T1 would be unrestricted.

(disclaimer: my bro's wife usta work for this company)

rackmounted PCs with video, etc. They're intended for offices: you run cables to each person's monitor/keyboard/mouse, manage all the actual hardware in one place ~~ ClearCube

They even list Linux as an operating system. It has a scaleable hard drive, but the downside is the standard is only 10 GIG.
This would be great for a geek household It wouldn't be hard to setup a cool computer room. It is easy to add new computers to the network, and easy to swap computers! I definately want some!

Interesting. I was aware of ClearCube's product line, where they have rack-mount PCs and a patented method of putting KVM and audio over cat5 cable, but I didn't know about the cybex product.

Doesn't Clearcube already have a product similar to this?