Linked clones sound like a step in the right direction. However, my concern would be that if they truly work like snapshots then the size could grow over time (only if you allow users to update the VM?). When the user logs off at the end of the day does the linked clone get destroyed? Has anyone seen a performance degredation with a linked clone?
Has anyone compared this with Citrix's XenDesktop? My understanding of this is that there is one "golden image" and when a user requests a desktop there isn't a clone created so there's no extra disk space other than the "golden image". I don't know much about either product and want to get all of the facts before we make a decision on how to proceed.
Thanks.