NComputing: An Energy-Savvy PC Experience for $70
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 11. 5.08
NComputing, a California-based company, is creating a $70 networked computer that uses about 1 watt of power. Sound like a futuristic dream? Not to the 1 million people currently using their devices.
To get such cheap computer access and low power use, the devices skip the hassles of a CPU, memory or moving parts, preferring the ease of hooking up with a central shared computer that uses virtualization software.
As many as 30 users can share a single PC, and still be able to do what they would on a regular dedicated PC, from running videos to accessing the Internet.
The access devices use about 95% less energy than a regular PC – roughly 1-4 watts per device – and with the potential of as many as 30 people all using just an access device and shared PC, that means some intense energy savings. Additionally, the devices will last up to 10 years, since they don’t have moving parts or a need for constant upgrading.
According to NComputing, the access devices eliminate the need for air conditioning when there is a room full of the devices, since they create little heat, produce significantly less e-waste at the end of their extra long lifetimes, and according to their calculations, the company’s current user base is right now saving 144 million kWh of electricity annually, 17,700 metric tons of coal, 112,300 metric tons of CO2, and about 8,100 metric tons of e-waste.
Unlike low power options like the CherryPal, these devices aren’t intended for the average consumer. Rather, they’re meant for businesses or organizations like schools and government. Over 1 million units are already happily humming along in places like India, Macedonia and Bangladesh.
This kind of low-cost access is excellent for organizations that don't have a ton of money to spend on resources, from libraries to schools to nonprofits.
Via Cleantechnica
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Your text is somewhat misleading. While NComputing's boxes have no moving parts (no hard drive or optical drive, in other words), they are small computers with a CPU and memory.
The difference between this machine and a traditional PC is that this box uses a cheap and slow CPU to generate images and sound, scan the keyboard and communicate with a "real" PC over a network connection. It's a good replacement for a PC in call centers and places where a traditional "green screen" terminal would have been installed 20 years ago. However, it's not great as an all-round desktop replacement. You wouldn't want 30 users sharing a PC while trying to run MS Office or Adobe Photoshop.
It makes far more sense for manufacturers to develop slightly more powerful machines such as the Asus eee PC desktop unit, which incorporate a reasonable processor and solid state storage. They cost a bit more, but they are practical in a single user setting (home, small business) and can be resold. With the NComputing boxes, once they're removed from their little multi-user network, they're just trash for the landfill.
the devices skip the hassles of a CPU, memory or moving parts,
Very serious nitpicking
This is not a computer - it is a hardware access device which connects to a computer running virtualization software.
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That said it can provide a benefit if your work/ home requires high access to low computing -- ie lots of people wanting to run non CPU intensive applications.
But if your work requires high computing power ie CAD/CAM application, animation rendering, etc then there devices are not useful.
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One other note, the $70 price tag is for large purchases from school districts, etc. Smaller office purchases will cost considerably more; ie for a bundle of 11 L version terminals you will pay approximately $160 per machine and a single L version access terminal will cost $200+
For very small groups where all the access terminals can be within 10 meters of the PC it is possible to buy the 3 pack of V version hardware for $220.
Thin clients ("graphics terminals", "X-servers", SunRays, etc) have been around for a long time. Unfortunately, they cost as much as a real computer most of the time -- which makes their savings non-obvious (and probably non-existent) for small shops with a surplus of geek-time.
At $70, this changes the game quite a lot! These things may drastically change the landscape for thin clients! I might order a couple to try out at home, if it looks like they have good Linux compatibility. :-)
On the other hand, having 30 people share a single PC is quite optimistic, though. That must be one beefy server-grade machine to handle that kind of a load. Also, it becomes a reliability issue -- if rebooting one computer to install patches or whatever makes everyone in the office take a break, then you can calculate the cost of downtime by adding the hourly-wage-equivalent of those 30 people together and multiplying it by the number of hours it takes to fix the broken machine. When I've been in the hotseat during these kinds of issues, it's quite common for a dozen people to stop by my office, ask what's going on, and then go home for the day. The lost productivity is quite substantial, and competent IT people must engineer their systems balance reliability, fiscal efficiency, energy efficiency, user efficiency, and to take care of any unique requirements that the organization has. These thin client modules might still be a win, but it's easy to end up in the weeds if you try it without analyzing everything first. IT is a fascinating trade for those of us who enjoy it. :-)
Even though this does not allow you to use many applications, it is still a great program that could be used in say.. classrooms, etc for searching the internet, or possibly in a home for a child who wants it for surfing. As well, could these not be connected to a server or a beefed up pc for faster use of this device by another user?
Older 'Wise' thin clients can be found on ebay for around $15. Running multiseat X GUI on a linux machine already allows everything this article claims.
Your not going to run any games on them, but they serve the purpose for a internet kiosk, etc.
Ok so maybe that single unit is 1-4 watts (doubtful since a laptop in standby still uses 5-10 regularly), but you still have a processing computer somewhere, and a screen to power. It may offer some savings in energy, but like other comments said: this does not replace a personal computer.
It seems the article uses the word virtualize erroneously. The technology incorporated in this solution is Thin Client, and is very common. In fact, centralized computing (versus distributed computing) was very popular in the mainframe days. It faded a bit with the introduction of the personal computer, and is only now starting to regain ground.
There are absolutely advantages to a thin client solution, but your business needs to justify the shift. One of the primary benefits to thin client is cost of support vs replacement of an end device. Since there is no configuration at each user station, it becomes a matter of quick swap as opposed to troubleshooting, resolution and/or rebuild. Or repurchasing a $750+ workstation.
On the other hand, you must factor in the cost of the back end server systems that will support a thin client infrastructure. Though Microsoft has a solution, it hasn't yet caught up to the likes of Citrix. If you have a 10+ person office using all their applications over a thin client solution, expect to pay in the range of $15k or more for a good, reliable solution. That's quite a hit on the cost savings of rolling out thin clients.
But I will say that I have rolled out thin clients where and when it makes sense. And in those situations, it was a great solution.
I noticed this article does not mention that in a typical PC setup,it is the monitor that consumes the most electricity. Unless I am missing something, the thin client solution in question still requires a monitor. So while I would agree that a thin client device would use less power than a traditional PC, I question if the amount saved is as dramatic as the 95% quoted above.
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