“For example, if you have embraced remote desktops, whether that’s VDI or a terminal server desktop, and users typically sit at a desk, then thin clients are perfect for them.” Madden gives the examples of call centers, trading floors and nursing stations as good fits for thin clients. Cao notes that mobile workspace solutions from vendors such as Citrix enable workers to use thin clients for a wider range of tasks than in the past. Thick Clients. They are, for the most part, proprietary, which could put you at risk for vendor lock-in. In many ways thin clients and zero clients are similar, but what are the differences between the two? For growing businesses, effective IT solutions can provide stability and support success. The changing nature of work demands devices with features that meet the needs of workplace evolution. According to David, thin clients and zero clients are on the rise because both are generally cheaper than thick clients, are simple to install and replace, require less maintenance, and potentially can improve security: I’ve seen many different definitions for these two client types, which can cause confusion. New clients continue to be introduced, like HP’s unveiling of the t310 G2 All-in-One Zero Client in January.With client types on the market ranging from traditional thick desktop computers to PC over IP zero clients and everything in between, IT decision-makers are left with tough questions as they try to parse out the differences and best uses of various client types. After that, some observers thought that tablets might kill off both thick clients and VDI, unifying end-user computing in a sleek, mobile form factor that mostly relied on cloud- or server-hosted apps. “All of these things that were promised never really happened,” Hewitt says. Vmware 5.5 Thick Client. The basic premise of a zero client is that the device on the user’s … How thin can you go? Each category has its own advantages and drawbacks, and organizations risk missing out on efficiencies and cost savings if they go the wrong route. “There might be a certain portion of users where thin clients make sense, and there might be another portion where thick clients make more sense,” says Brian Madden, lead field technologist for VMware. However, this model goes a step further, as zero clients feature no local storage. February 08, 2013 Key Differences Between Thin Clients and Zero Clients for VDI. Zero clients support access to a variety of desktop types, terminal services, a virtual desktop infrastructure or dedicated rackmount or blade workstations. But [thin clients and zero clients] have one thing in common. Thin clients vs. CDW®, CDW•G® and PEOPLE WHO GET IT® are registered trademarks of CDW LLC. For instance, some might argue that an Apple iPad is a thick client because of its robust operating system, while others would call it a thin client due to the fact that because it is largely used to connect to cloud apps.  Forrester predicts that organizations will increasingly adopt an “80/20 split” — with 80 percent of computing tasks being completed on lighter devices such as smartphones, foldable displays, voice speakers and smart glasses. • Although the bulk of tasks will be completed on lighter devices, heavy devices will remain “crucial,” especially for engineers, designers and data scientists. • The variety of device form factors will continue to expand in size and diversity, ranging from “nearly invisible to extremely tangible.” • Artificial intelligence will become an “intermediary” between machines and employees, delivering real-time insights into customers and business operations in ways that drive fewer typing-based interactions. • The need for highly mobile, hands-free solutions will drive investments in wearable devices to support workers such as nurses, retail associates and field technicians. • Users will rely less on full-blown mobile apps to get work done, and will instead utilize microapps that deliver a “slice” of the functionality of larger, back-end applications. Visit CDW.com/DigitalWorkspace. VDI lets you push out compute resources from a server rather than having to install those resources directly onto the end-user’s device.

“Because VDI is leveraging the servers behind the scenes to handle the compute, you’re less likely to need to update or refresh the end point devices,” David explains.Despite the many similarities between thin and zero clients, David points out a few key differences. “There’s that central tension between giving employees the freedom to work in whatever way they want, and then keeping the organization secure and reducing the management overhead,” Hewitt says.