Curious Blend of VPN, PDA and USB Drive

An anonymous reader writes "Realm Systems has developed a cellphone-sized mobile device that takes advantage of the hardware of a another PC by attaching via USB. It requires an Internet connection to connect to a backend system, but acts as a fully functional PC with dual PowerPC processors, a 20 GB drive and all your applications - if you can find someone who lets you connect to their PC. An interesting option especially for a price of $195 for the mobile device." So, for a $10,000 central server, a $1000 PC, and a $195 device, you can have the computing power of: a $1000 PC. It seems like there might be cheaper ways.

Comments

WiFi

[Daxx_61]

Why not use Wi-Fi? Why bother with USB at all?

Too damn proprietory

[Kris_J]

And it looks like it wants to more or less shut down the host PC. It's be more interesting if it was accessible via a terminal services, VNC or X window itself.

Come to think of it, a couple of friends have a Sharp Zaurus and it's SSH-able when it's sitting in its cradle...

Neat idea, but

[wcitechnologies]

They need to find a way to lower the cost of production and the price they are selling it, or it will fail.

It is a harsh truth, but I'd rather use VNC on my PocketPC than pay out the end for this kind of portability.

Re:Neat idea, but

[Spy Hunter]

It's not for you, it's for large companies. Now that I understand what it is, I think it could actually be useful. The article didn't help much, but if you want to know what it really is:

It is a USB hard drive + integrated computer running something like knoppix + fingerprint scanner, in a package not much larger than an iPod. You take it with you anywhere, then plug it into any computer you find. After scanning your fingerprint it automatically takes over that computer and brings up your suspended Linux desktop on the screen, just how you left it. It also sets up a VPN over the Internet to access your company's intranet so you can work just like you were in the office. When you're done you unplug it, which instantly suspends your session until you plug it in again.

The central server is cool because it backs up all of the devices as they are being used, so if somebody loses theirs it's not a problem. You can just copy their backed-up image onto a new device and give it to them. You can also track usage and do security junk like that. I'm not a big fan of that feature, since it will probably lead to stupidly restrictive policies that are automatically enforced with an iron hand by the software. But that's a management problem, not a problem with the technology per se.

This is the first

[ZSpade]

and last time we'll ever see this piece of technology. Guy 1: Yeah, let me give you my business address. Guy 2: Hold on I'll put it on my MPS... Guy 2: Uhh, You wouldn't happen to have a computer on you, would you?

Overkill

[lachlan76]

How exactly does this do the job better than a Knoppix CD and VNC/X over SSH/rdesktop?

Re:Overkill

[lachlan76]

My guess would be that it puts it into hibernation and then boots from USB.

For a $10,000 server...

[djsmiley]

"MPS devices will be available from $195. While we could imagine Realms technology to also be attractive for home users, the necessary SOBA router may be out of reach for most households: Pricing ranges from $10,000 to $40,000, depending on the amount of users."

its not even a server, its an over the top router!

I think

[nahdude812]

I think that this is probably targeted at roaming corporate users. I split my time up between three corporate offices, a day here, a day there. Since I only have a cubicle in one of the three, I'm always having to use someone else's computer who's out for the day (it's a big company, there's always someone out). Each of the other guys in my group are in the same scenario.

Our roaming profiles give us access to our documents when signed on to someone else's computer, but they don't give us access to our developer tools. We've thought about external USB / Firewire drives, but not all of the tools we use can work running right off a detachible device.

This sounds like it might offer a better solution.

Still doesn't beat Zaurus

[zoum]

I don't think such device is decent enough compared to Sharp Zaurus Cxx model.

Zaurus can be also connected to any PC via USB or WiFi connection...and you can control Zaurus via ssh or vnc, etc...Moreover, Zaurus itself functions as a mobile computing device with superb display in terms of size and resolution, and many other great features...

gah!

[torpor]

its awful, really .. to think that this whole thing is rendered useless by a USB-fob and a freebie operating system 'from those commies' ..

but, what bothers me most about this is that we are *forever and perpetually* trying to build better client/server computing systems. we want power, but we don't want to be near the computer ..

over and over, the same ol' problem. why don't we just make better, smaller, nicer, more comfy computers, and give up this whole 'beigebox' mentality?

Similar to the Intel Personal Server

[Jacco de Leeuw]

I see some resemblance with the Intel Personal Server.

Don't know about the security. There is no keyboard on the thing so a (hardware) keylogger on the host PC would be disastrous.