Scored some Thin client computers at Goodwill today

Was that a shock! I'm a thrift store junkie, and some computer place around here has a soft spot in their hearts for Goodwill. There's a company called Wyse that I'm pretty sure has merged with Dell lately. So I score three of them. What they are is, super low power computers - two are 300-ish megahertz 256 MB RAM and the 3rd is 1.2 Ghz and 512 RAM! All running windows CE. The ideas is, cloud computing and these are very likely from a hospital or medical clinic. So all they exist for is to remote desktop to a heavier server.

All that's on them is an extremely stripped-down Internet Explorer, Media player and a startup interface for remote desktop connection. 60 MB total flash drive! That's wonderfully lean. The desktop I want to connect with is the Pogoplug of course.

The only downside i care about is the Ethernet is only 100 Mbps, but there's amazing similarities between this and the pogoplug. One, that even off it takes up a few watts. I only got one power supply though, tested all three and they're good.

So I encourage anyone here, between now and spring break, lots of computer enterprises are overhauling their networks and for $20 i scored three units less than 2 years old that run at less power than a Raspberry Pi yet runs Windows and that's my front end into the linux Pogoplug. And i wish the same you as good a geek luck as I had today.

@ Joey

you may find the following link useful as it gives specs and possible upgrades to a whole raft of TC-PC's and not only WYSE.... My personal favourites are HP

http://www.parkytowers.me.uk/thin/wyse/index.shtml


I went the other way - i came from ThinClient computing to the plugs :)

Bookmarked... what a revelation. Before yesterday I'd never thought about the term Thin Client, but it's what I've been kicking around the back of my brain a long time.
I bought those boxes yesterday based on the jacks with no knowledge what was inside.

A lot of things cross my mind, one being, it's coming to the day where it's more expensive for the power supply than the processing part of it.

So before summer I'll have to try some experiments, like strapping a low power box to a wireless router and have a windows front end out on the shed.


Professor Gravelrash, I am fully attired in my tinfoil cap and gown. Gimme my eDiploma. And make it digitally signed LOL

For a cheapn12v power supply look at CCTV power supply

http://m.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=CCTV+power+supply&isNewKw=1&_pgn=1&epp=24&itemId=&isRefine=true&mfs=GOCLK&acimp=0&sqp=cctv+power+supply&_trksid=p2056088.m2428.l1313.TR7.TRC2.Xcctv+power+supply

You may need to modify the polarity on the output by soldering on a new jack plug.