Insignia Solution's NTRIGUE is a slick, customized version of WinFrame that includes integrated support for X-terminal access (see Screen A). You don't have to install a separate add-on to get both ICA and X support. As with the other versions of WinFrame I looked at, installation of NTRIGUE was simple. NTRIGUE includes an extra licensing step the other products don't require, but this extra step is insignificant unless you don't happen to be near a phone when you install the productyou have to call to get a proper license key.
Once installed, NTRIGUE is ready to support both ICA and X-terminal sessionsa pleasant contrast to the NCD implementation that requires you to first install WinFrame and then install the X-terminal add-on (WinCenter). I tested the ICA access to NTRIGUE using the Wyse terminal and the Tektronix Netstation terminal in ICA mode. I also tested X access using the NCD Explora terminal, the Tektronix Netstation terminal in X mode, Insignia's NTRIGUE Mac Client (an X-terminal emulator), and both NCD's PC-Xware and Hummingbird's Exceed X-terminal emulation software running on an NT Workstation system. NTRIGUE worked flawlessly in all cases.
NTRIGUE does not yet let you boot X-terminals from the NT Server system (this feature will be in a forthcoming release). But NTRIGUE has a Network Information Service (NIS) import facility that lets you import username definitions from your UNIX network into your NT system. In large networks, this feature can save countless hours of rekeying user definitions. The NIS import feature, and NTRIGUE's forthcoming support for X-terminal booting, will undoubtedly make NTRIGUE a darling in the heart of many UNIX shops looking to integrate UNIX and NT applications.
Insignia was the lone software-only vendor I looked at in this review cycle. Although Insignia does not offer hardware terminals like Wyse, NCD, and Tektronix, Insignia offers ICA and X client software for Mac and UNIX systems. So if you're looking to use existing desktop systemsand you have a wide variety of them to accommodateInsignia can provide one-stop shopping.
| Insignia NTRIGUE |
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Insignia Solutions * 408-327-6000 Web: www.insignia.com Price: $1995 (Suggested retail pricing, 5 users) |
