“Imagine how David must have felt when he first saw just how big
Goliath actually was. Now you have an idea how NeTraverse must feel
bringing multiuser Microsoft Windows on Linux to the ring. After
all, Microsoft’s Terminal Server giant is standing menacingly in
the opposite corner.”
“But like David, NeTraverse has a good shot at surviving. I
recently tested the public beta of the multiuser Win4Lin Thin
Client Server in our partner labs in Savannah, Ga., and found it to
be zippy, highly usable and easy to configure. The product lets
administrators centrally install and administer Windows 9x desktops
from a Linux server, and replace desktop PCs with terminals. (Only
X-terminal devices are supported, but third-party products that add
support for other types of terminals are available.)“
“If NeTraverse can deliver on Win4Lin’s promise — that is, the
ability to transfer existing “fat client” Win9x licenses to a
Unix-based thin-client environment — the future of alternative
thin-client computing will become rather interesting for those
who’d rather avoid Windows 2000 for Windows terminals. If you run a
Unix shop on a budget and are without Terminal Server expertise
in-house, this solution is a great fit. Those using Win2000’s
terminal services, however, will probably want to stay with
it.”