GLOSSARY The world of business IT is often filled with a confusing jumble of unfamiliar terms, acronyms, and abbreviations.The Windows IT Pro Magazine Glossary is provided to help you sort out what all of them mean.
Thin Client Definition: In the client-server computing model, the client is a computing device that accesses a remotely located server. The phrase "thin client" refers to a client computer that is not very powerful and can't function without connecting to a server and network.
Thin clients generally have slow processors, little RAM, and little or no storage space. All the software needed to operate the thin client is received over a network, and most or all of the processing for the client is done on a server.
Advances in networking and virtualization technology make it possible for a thin client to provide have an experience very similar to a PC. Thin clients are usually less expensive than full PCs. Thin clients often increase the processing load on servers and may not provide all the features of a PC.
Some vendors provide software that allows obsolete, underpowered PCs to act as thin clients.
Fat ClientDefinition: In the client-server computing model, the client is a computing device -- usually a PC -- that accesses a remotely-located server. The phrase "fat client" (also known as a "rich client") refers to a client computer that is powerful and fully-featured in its own right apart from the server and network.
An example of a fat client is a client PC that is equipped with lots of RAM, a large hard disk, a fast processor, and perhaps a speedy DVD drive. Fat clients often translate into a more rewarding computing experience for the end user, as the powerful local hardware can make software programs installed on that machine run faster.
The phrase "fat client" is often used in comparison to a "thin client", which is a user PC that tends to feature more modest hardware, with the network and remote servers relied more heavily upon for processing workloads.
Alternate Spelling(s): None
Common Misspelling(s): None
Also Known As: Rich Client
Related Terms: Client, client-server, network, server, thin client
Free CDs Offer Fundamental Content for IT Pros Are you up to speed on the latest technologies and solutions? Don't miss out on your chance to get up to speed quickly on fundamental, in-depth information on some of the hottest topics in our library of content.
Let Your Users Reset Their Own Passwords: Free Download Try a 30 day free trial of Desktop Authority Password Self-Service – it provides an easy-to-use, robust system for allowing users to reset their own forgotten passwords or locked accounts.
Get Windows IT Pro & Mark Minasi’s Favorite Power Tools Guide Order Windows IT Pro now and get "More of Mark Minasi's Favorite Power Tools"--a in-depth guide to the most useful Windows commands --FREE with your paid order! Subscribe today, and save 58% off the cover price!
Deep Dive into VMware vSphere, eLearning Series Join John Savill to explore the major functionality capabilities of the vSphere virtualization platform, including identification of the changes from ESX 3.5.
