Slashdot Mirror


HP Shows Off Power Over Ethernet Thin Client

angry tapir writes "HP has unveiled an all-in-one thin client capable of being powered by an Ethernet cable. The t410 AiO supports the Type 1 Power over Ethernet (PoE) standard, which means it is capable of drawing its power from a network connection, although it can be powered by standard AC power. It uses an ARM-based processor and has an integrated 18.5-inch monitor, and it is capable of being used for virtual desktops through Windows RDP, VMware View and Citrix ICA."

9 of 202 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Back, to the Future... by ByOhTek · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Have you seen a PoE terminal before? I think that was the point of this one...

    --
    Self proclaimed typo king, and inventor of the bear destroying coffee table (patent not pending).
  2. Yawn by Bazman · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wake me up when it can do power over wireless ethernet.

  3. Re:How long... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    more important, how long until someone makes a wireless version of it?

  4. Re:The Takeaway by LoudMusic · · Score: 4, Informative

    If it's a thin client doing RDP or such the speed to the thin client is negligible. I use RDP clients over 2mbit internet connections nearly everyday and it works fine - even with the increased latency. Keep in mind all the file access and disk I/O is taking place on the RDP server, not the thin client. The only data going to and from the thin client is information about how to render the video output. You could even use Photoshop effectively through this.

    --
    No sig for you. YOU GET NO SIG!
  5. Re:Back, to the Future... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    No. The entire thing with this product is that it supports PoE, not that it is a thin client.
    Saying that we had the same thing before would be like saying "Didn't we have that in the 1890's" when someone shows up with a flying car just because it's also a car.

    What is neat here is that they have reduced the power consumption to less than 13W to be able to run it on PoE.

    Removing the need to install power-cables in a class-room or similiar is pretty nice.

  6. Re:How long... by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 4, Informative

    On HP's x86 thin client line, 'hacking' has historically been pretty trivial. They totally don't support doing this; but it's just a normal PC bios with a disk-on-chip as the default boot medium; but it won't blink if you ask it to PXE boot or boot from a USB device.

    Also of note, their non-WinCE clients have, historically, run a badly butchered version of debian(and, unless they've finally decided to fix the problem, several years later, one that has amazingly trivial exploits to get to a root shell even in 'kiosk' mode, much less in admin mode). I don't know if they've played bootloader games with their ARM models or not; but unless they've tightened the hell out of their linux firmware I strongly suspect that at least the non-kiosk mode will still have a way to sneak into the guts of the stock image. Also, since they tend to support running a browser locally(either WinCE's delightful IE build, or a slightly elderly version of Firefox, I'm assuming that X11 is already set to go, for local use, in the stock firmware.

    I'd give it "about as long as it takes for one to get on ebay". HP's prices for thin clients are...optimistic... given their hardware specs; but you can find them at pleasingly low prices once they get shuffled off to support-contract-expired corporate retirement land. They make decent little mini-PCs for the price.

  7. Re:Back, to the Future... by h4rr4r · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Not if you wanted to setup a call center with 400 desks you would not. That is what this is for.

  8. Re:Back, to the Future... by Lumpy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    And they eliminate 50% of your IT staff needs. no more dealing with workstations and idiot users, I can replace a failed thin client in 35 seconds and the user has no loss of data or any workflow interruption.

    a general office is dumb to buy desktop PC's anymore. Thin clients for the sales, marketing, accounting, and general office, workstations for the people that actually use computers and you are done. Spend the money in the back office.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  9. Re:Back, to the Future... by Joce640k · · Score: 4, Funny

    What happens if you put a PoE device on each end of the cable? Free energy...?

    --
    No sig today...