Repurposing Windows machines as thin clients isn;t the only way that Microsoft customers can go the thin-client route. Additionally they can use dedicated thin clients running the recently released Windows Embedded Standard seven Services Pack (SP) 1 to do the identical.Microsoft delivered for download on March 8 the evaluation edition of Windows Embedded Regular seven SP1 — one of a handful of different embedded working system SKUs from the company. Embedded Standard seven SP1 adds support for RemoteFX to the working system, among other features. Microsoft positions both Windows Embedded Standard and Windows Embedded Compact as thin-client operating systems.RemoteFX is key to Microsoft;s latest thin-client push for Windows. Part of SP1 of Windows Server 2008 R2, RemoteFX is designed to allow users to work remotely in a Windows Aero desktop environment, doing everything from watching full-motion videos,
Microsoft Office Standard 2007, to viewing Silverlight animations,
Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007, to operating 3D applications “all with the fidelity of a local-like performance,
Microsoft Office Professional 2010,” Microsoft execs have said.Microsoft is readying a public beta of Windows Thin PC (WinTPC), the successor to its Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs (WinFLP) SKU. (I;m thinking that beta could hit tomorrow, as Microsoft is holding a customer roundtable about the product on March 10.) The remote desktop consumer in WinTPC will be able to decode RemoteFX data.WinTPC is available to Microsoft Software Assurance consumers as part of their licenses. Consumers who don;t have Software Assurance also can buy a Virtual Desktop Access (VDA) license for each device to get access to WinTPC, officials said this week.Microsoft is touting WinTPC as a way for users to tighten their IT budget belts. From a “Windows for Your Business” blog post on March seven:“Although traditional thin customers reduce management and operational costs,
Office 2010 Professional Plus, they are not free since there is an upfront acquisition cost. Depending on the device and the capability, a thin consumer could cost as much as a low end PC. Many of you told us that budgets for buying new devices have been reduced, and that you prefer allocating funds towards devices that offer more functionality and flexibility, such as new Windows seven PCs,
Office 2010 Home And Business, tablets, or slates. Additionally, all traditional thin clients and zero clients require VDA licensing for VDI.”Microsoft is promising more specifics on WinTPC and the company;s desktop virtualization strategy starting at 9 am PT on March 10 during its “Desktop Virtualization Customer Roundtable” Webcast.