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I've used this software long ago, and can say that it works using 1 single XP Pro computer. Perhaps this is what the OP is looking for.

BeTwin (By ThinSoft) It uses XP's fast user switching to allow two users simultaneously on two different monitors.

At the time, I was looking for a way to have two users input at the same time in one microsoft word document (basically two cursors, so two people could edit the same document onscreen simultaneously). I never found it. But I did find this cool little app along the way.

Sorry, wrong link (Userful is a Linux solution...)

Here.

Or Here.

The OP is not looking for an useful answer but just successfully using AskSlashdot to advertise their product to a large audience for free:

I have seen one solution that might work

Anyone ever heard of Betwin? It has been around for some years now... http://www.thinsoftinc.com/

You might want to check out BeTwin Software from Thinsoft. It runs on Windows XP and will allow up to four users on a single workstation. I'm currently using it on a Pentium 4 (3.2 GHz processor) and it works beautifully. Although, some of Microsofts patches play havoc with the application (I keep an image every month just in case one of those patches breaks something). I currently only have one client configured, but both host and client can be watching DVD movies concurrently with separate displays and individual sound, or both running Microsoft Office Applications or surfing the web. http://www.thinsoftinc.com/index.aspx

I've seen an (illegal) hack to turn Windows XP into a terminal server. I'm not sure how legal this is (since there's no reference to purchasing additional Windows licenses), but ThinSoft's WinConnect has a commercial program that does the same thing the hack does. There are problems with WinConnect: the license is really harsh (PC died? Tough crap, buy another license), and Windows XP doesn't regulate resources well in this mode: if six people launch the same app, you have six separate instances (rather than one split) run, with all the resource requirements six times over.

Are you thinking on how to secure those little boxen? Cause if it's not secured in a steel cage (datamation) it's gonna walk.
What I've done at my school was use Betwin to have one tower serve 4 stations. That is, one tower, and 4 monitor/keyboard/mouse. Most students don't realize that they're sharing one computer, and it's fun watching outside techs try to figure out what's going on.

As long as your windows software is compatible with Windows Terminal Server, you can use WinConnect Server XP.

This lets you run terminal services with a lower initial cost, and there is a free download that lets you try it out for free (there is a timeout on the sessions).

This IMHO opens the door for a linux desktop migration than anything else out there right now.

This software has been out for quite some time.

From the company's FAQ:

http://www.thinsoftinc.com/products_wcs_faq.html#f aq8

Do I need to buy additional software licenses?

The WinConnect Server XP allows multiple users to simultaneously and independently share the same hardware and software installed on the Host computer. Some software is licensed for use on a single computer while other software may be licensed for single or multiple users. It is the responsibility of the WinConnect Server XP purchaser/user to read and comply with the licensing agreements of any software that may be used on the RDP devices.

A separate Windows XP license is required for each RDP device connected to the Host computer running Windows XP. It is the responsibility of the WinConnect Server XP purchaser/user to read and comply with the Windows XP licensing agreement or contact Microsoft for clarification regarding this licensing requirement. back.

See Also:

Where can I download the Remote Desktop Client software for Linux System?

You may download or purchase the WinConnect Remote Desktop Client software from our web site at http://www.thinsoftinc.com/

Usurper_ii

This software has been out for quite some time.

From the company's FAQ:

http://www.thinsoftinc.com/products_wcs_faq.html#f aq8

Do I need to buy additional software licenses?

The WinConnect Server XP allows multiple users to simultaneously and independently share the same hardware and software installed on the Host computer. Some software is licensed for use on a single computer while other software may be licensed for single or multiple users. It is the responsibility of the WinConnect Server XP purchaser/user to read and comply with the licensing agreements of any software that may be used on the RDP devices.

A separate Windows XP license is required for each RDP device connected to the Host computer running Windows XP. It is the responsibility of the WinConnect Server XP purchaser/user to read and comply with the Windows XP licensing agreement or contact Microsoft for clarification regarding this licensing requirement. back.

See Also:

Where can I download the Remote Desktop Client software for Linux System?

You may download or purchase the WinConnect Remote Desktop Client software from our web site at http://www.thinsoftinc.com/

Usurper_ii

All you need is a Windows XP Professional machine with your software on it, and then you can run WinConnect Server XP. It is inexpensive, uses regular Windows RDP, includes a fairly decent admin tool, and you can try it out for free. ThinSoft also makes a Linux client, but you can use rdesktop. The bad news is that it only allows 21 clients concurrently.

No, I don't work for them, but I have used their software quite a bit. Their site leads you to believe that they only sell licenses in groups of three, but in fact, they are more than willing to sell you individual licenses. All in all, their system works rather well.

As I type I'm working on a PC with Thinsoft's "BeTwin" software installed. Two video cards, two monitors, two keyboards, two mice -- two stations that you can log onto independently.

At work, I have Maxivista, though I haven't used it for a while since the power supply for a little network switch died. I must get that replaced.

Other interesting stuff to screw around with monitors includes; Margi's Display-to-go PCMCIA video card and an interesting "USB2VGA" product. These both allow you to easily add extra monitors to a laptop, or in the case of the USB device, a desktop with no slots or a locked case. I have both. The frame rate on the PCMCIA card is much better than the USB device, not surprisingly. But for work, both help.

There's a product called Buddy that's been doing this for many years. Originally, the Buddy card was a combined PCI video card and PS/2 keyboard+mouse controller, which spit all the signals out an 8-position modular jack (RJ45 for the cretins), and a little breakout box at the other end of a (long, shielded cat-5) cable accepted the monitor and input devices. The software gave two Windows95 users the impression that they were the only one on the machine, and I'm still not sure how they did that on a non-NT architecture, but it worked and worked well. Only trouble is, the video bandwidth of the cable was limited, and the RAMDAC in the video card didn't support sync rates over 60Hz, so the flicker on the slave station was pretty obnoxious.

In the years since Buddy was first released, PCI video cards have learned to play nice with their neighbors, and USB has provided a way to connect oodles of keyboards and mice to the same machine. Thus, Buddy is reincarnated as BeTwin, a software-only product that associates specific keyboards, mice, and video cards with specific sessions on the machine. (I'm not sure how it deals with sound. Multiple soundcards would seem easy.)

They say it only supports 5 users, but that sounds like an arbitrary limit and I'm sure they'd tweak a 28-user version if you felt like it.

Related links... I'm going off-topic here, but playing stupid tricks with virtual hardware is fun.

Check out MaxiVista, a "virtual video card" which Windows treats as a second monitor, allowing you to do multi-head tricks. The data for the second display goes out over the network (a la VNC) to a client machine, which simply pipes it into the video buffer. Turn that scrap laptop into a second monitor! I stuffed a 10base-T card in my old lappy and it was perfectly usable for everything except fullscreen video. At 100 or gigabit, it'd be worth a try.

Xinerama is Linux software that does the same thing, creating one large virtual X display, which then chops up the image and sends it to a number of smaller actual displays, some or all of which can obviously be located across the network.

As long as we're doing silly tricks with virtual hardware, you should be aware of Virtual Audio Cable, which enables digitally-perfect audio patching between applications' outputs and inputs, even if the apps themselves think they have exclusive control over the soundcard. (Also enables multiclient sound output under 9x, even if your card doesn't support it, because it does software mixing.)

If video is your thing, try Softcam, to feed your videoconferencing software any old source you feel like. Switch between actual cameras, use your desktop screenshot as a "camera input", add effects, etc. Their WaveMux tool is a nice complement to VAC, too.

A multi-user OS means that I can log in several times on the same computer at the same time. And that multiple users can log on at the same time from different places.

This allows you to have up to two sessions on at once (for free). If you want more (for $$$) with Windows XP, try WinConnect Server XP

IPC changed names and expanded their product line thoroughly. They are the ones behind the software reviewed here, actually.

http://www.thinsoftinc.com/

It's all going to be pretty academic until they fix "BeTwin and WinConnect Server XP software currently do not support Windows XP Service Pack 2". But their BeTwin product is very impressive. I can have two copies of Diablo II running at the same time using it. Chugs a little, but it's even possible for one session to be a server and the other to connect to it for multiplayer gaming. Microsoft should steal the idea and bundle it with SP3.

A more legal way to get to a similar end result is to install Win 2k3 on the PCs -- it comes with a legitimate extra terminal services session or two and educational pricing is pretty decent if you qualify -- certainly less than the cost difference between a fat client and a thin client.

Anyway, this is how I'd do it. No one single server managing a room of thin clients, but a series of mid-range PCs each managing 2-5 other stations.

But there's an alternative out there for windows boxes, so the free Windows coupled with that hardware, provides exactly the same functionality as the setup from the article, and at a similar price... your point? :)

Not that I am a huge fan of windows, but I thought it was at least worthwhile to mention that a similar solution is available for Windows computers and/or Windows labs. I have been thinking of investigating something like this in leiu of thin clients for data people at work that are very low-impact on their computers.

well I guess you can't do it anymore... the site: http://www.thinsoftinc.com/ had a software called winconnect XP that was quite extrordinary. it allowed multiple screens like this as well as multiple RDP connections like win 2k3 term server.

the site seems to be down now.

Well, I don't, but this technology has been around a while for Windows.

Thinsoft sells BeTwin which does exactly that. (The first versions were "PC Buddy" back in '99. On an ISA card, even!)

Of course it's more expensive (you need to buy software) than the Linux solution, but what Windows solution isn't?

http://www.thinsoftinc.com/products_buddy_info.htm l

From what I can tell from searching google, it goes for about $150

What is Buddy B-680 Premium/Lite?

Buddy B-680 Premium/Lite is a kit bundled with Buddy software which enables two to five users to share the computing power and resources of a single computer (Host PC). All users can simultaneously perform any tasks that they would perform on a standard Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP Professional or Home Edition. With Buddy B-680 Premium, additional users are supported by adding PCI video cards and monitors along with USB keyboards & mice, Buddy USB Audio Hub, USB & Video combo cable, and speakers (optional). For Buddy-680 Lite, additional users are supported by adding PCI video cards and monitors along with PS/2 keyboards & mice, Buddy USB-to-PS/2 converter, USB & Video combo cable, and speakers (optional). Buddy B-680 Premium/Lite enables two users (up to a maximum of five users) to work simultaneously on the same or different software applications, share a printer, CD-ROM drive, and even surf the Internet independently with one phone line, one ISP account and one modem. This saves tremendous costs! How does Buddy software work? Today's PCs are extremely powerful. Even while you're working on your PC, a significant portion of the PC's processing power goes unused. With our latest developed Buddy software, two to five users* can share the computing power and resources of the Host PC at the same time.

There used to be a product that did this.
I think the name of the product was Buddy B-200
Here is a few links
http://www.thinsoftinc.com/products_betwin_info.ht ml
http://www.vnunet.com/Products/Hardware/104120

Or you can get a Windows XP machine, and buy WinConnect Server XP. It allows you to have up to 21 Terminal Server connections on Windows XP.

It works really well. I'd also suggest using rdesktop on Linux and the Windows Remote Desktop Client on the Mac.

Remote Desktop is much better than VNC, especially when used over the internet because VNC is not encrypted at all. Remote Desktop includes built in 128 bit encryption.

I agree with the the full blown xp not being a good solution. If you were to use Linux w/ rdesktop (Win2000 Term Serv) or Winconnect on the client end, it would probably perform really well and save you a lot of money on licensing. Unless of course the machines already included XP.

As long as the servers got what you need, and the power users got full on machines, you shouldn't have a problem.

sorry to shoot down the trollish anti-ms nature of this post, but this has been available on microsoft platforms as far back as NT 3.51. the first terminal server/citrix platform utilized this technology (multi video/key/mouse, not terminal sessions over ipx/ip). it's now called "ultra thin client" technology.

check here, here, or here.

ThinSoft also have a product that does it for Windows.

A company called thinsoft has a product called BeTwin which does exactly what you're asking.

Hook up to four additional USB keyboards and mice, and a monitor for each station (obviously you'd need more video cards if you want more than two stations) and it treats them all as seperate computers.

I found out about it because MSI bundles a two station version with the geforce 4x00 cards. I haven't tried it, though.

It works for windows.

-Adam