Thin clients with Dual Monitors / CD/DVD / Streaming Graphics / Keyboards and Mouse?

[RickStanford]

I am looking for the best thin client for an HP Blade VDM / VDI scenario. Four areas of focus are:

1. solid CD/DVD performance

2. streaming graphics with (near) as-good-as desktop delivery

3. high quality keyboard and mouse - some bundled TC KBs feel too tinny

4. dual monitors as a standard or option

Wyse V90LE and possibly the V10L seem to be the TC of choice but only from the 'seen it on paper' viewpoint.

Please school me on what you have experienced with TCs in this scenario. Much of what I have read in this and other communities are from early last year and I know things have probably improved since then. What's the latest?

[Rodos]

The Wyse V10L is what you are after. We have had great success with them.

The V10L covers item 2 and 4 without problem, check out the TCX extensions. Item 3 is a matter of opinion, if you really dislike the included one you could always replace it.

However what do you mean by 1. solid CD/DVD performance. Are you wanting people to mount CD/DVD via the thin client and then do something with them?

The only thing I don't like about the V10L is that the speaker output is on the front of the device.

[RickStanford]

Thank you Rodos

On the CD/DVD issues: The Wyse certified list of CD/DVD as USB external devices is rather thin. I am wanting painless install and operation. I know that there are probably many vendors that supply devices that work well. I'm just wanting to know if anyone has had a bad experience and what are the popular choices.

The Kybd/Mouse is a perception issue and again, I am looking for 'stay away from this kybd' responses if someone has had a bad experience.

[Rodos · Accepted solution]

But the question unanswered is what are you going to do with that CD/DVD from the client under VDI. If you are after something that works easily you need to ensure its going to work effectively.

To read a DVD off the remote client, send that through a remote protocol to the virtual machine, have it decode it and stream it back to the client over the remote protocol is not going to work (or work very well at least). Even if its over a local LAN.

This is why you need things like the TCX extensions that Wyse have, or RGS from HP or other technologies to do remote media.

If you just need a CD drive to copy/import the odd small amount of data thats going to be different story.

Just trying to give you a heads up on what might be your pain points.

[RickStanford]

Thanks again Rodos...

The TCX extensions would allow me to cover all the bases. I foresee that just plain data would be most of the CD/DVD usage but I wanted to find a solution to the high bandwidth media issues also. Thank you for your input. I will be setting up a test with the V10L and TCX as soon as logistically possible and will report the results here.

What vendors have you used for CD drives?