Windows ThinPC (WinTPC)

[nitrobass24]

Anyone considering rolling out VDI that do not have a Windows Client Software Assurance agreement might want to wait until this is released.

Its basically a slimmed down Windows 7 that allows you to re purpose older machines (or newer ones too but it does not require a VDA license to access virtual desktop.

Seems interesting, anyone tried it?

 

[cyr0n_k0r]

It sounded great until I saw that the minimum RAM requirements was 1GB. Whats the point of trying to repurpose old machines if they need 1GB of ram? I have other 1000 machines with 512mb of ram. Guess I'm stuck on XP until I can get the funds to replace them.

 

[Red Falcon]

Yeah, 1GB of RAM for a thin client is quite a bit high when most thin clients only require 256MB to work properly. Good idea but it seems a bit bloated.

 

[Joe Average]

It doesn't require 1GB - it's not set in stone, it's more of a recommendation than anything else. Hell, I can put a single 512MB stick in this Dell D830 laptop of mine and simply reboot Windows 7 Pro x64 and it'll only use about 240MB to get booted. I've done that several times to show people how amazingly insanely well Windows 7 can scale itself to the machine it's on and the available resources.

I just installed WinTPC on this same D830 for some basic testing (I know it's not a full blown desktop OS - been using WinFLP for a variety of narrow purposes since it was first available too) and so far it's pretty cool. It's missing obvious aspects that prove that it's not cut out to be used as some nLite or vLite-style version of Windows 7, that's obvious but, people are pouncing on it already. Saw a long thread on 4Chan earlier about it too, and since joining Connect is free there's no stopping the spread of it (even though it's a time limited beta).

Hell, it's already on TPB too.

But I put a single 1GB stick in the D830 for testing and it was pulling 330-350MB to get to the Desktop and then it just sat there. Superfetch is set to Automatic as a service but it doesn't start by default, there's no Search service at all, you can't add/remove Windows Components, and many other things too.

As a virtualized thin client, it should run exceptionally well, and I would suspect as a thin client installed directly onto older hardware it'll still be a big plus compared to continuing to try and use XP or even WinFLP in the same situation(s).

 

[Red Falcon]

It doesn't require 1GB - it's not set in stone, it's more of a recommendation than anything else. Hell, I can put a single 512MB stick in this Dell D830 laptop of mine and simply reboot Windows 7 Pro x64 and it'll only use about 240MB to get booted. I've done that several times to show people how amazingly insanely well Windows 7 can scale itself to the machine it's on and the available resources.

Yeah, it'll only eat about 240MB of RAM, but look at the amount of memory used in your page file. When there isn't enough memory, Windows will automatically eat into the page file, it doesn't scale to anything.

If you only have 512MB, then the other 512MB+ that windows DOES require will get used in the page file (virtual memory). Every OS in existence does this. They don't "scale" for a lower amount of memory.

At startup, windows will easily eat past 800-900MB of RAM on a fresh install.

 

[defuseme2k]

I guess I understand using an end point with an OS on it for testing out VDI, I cannot understand it during roll out. Another vulnerable OS that needs patches, secured, and managed. Half the reason to roll out VDI is to get rid of that problem... I'd say more than half. I know it appears to make the entry into VDI cheaper, but not (typically) if you count all the soft costs which management loves to ignore because they're already in the budget.

 

[Chilly]

I suspect its for more than just VDI deployments, but as a Win7 modern replacement of Windows Fundamentals.

 

[PGHammer]

It sounded great until I saw that the minimum RAM requirements was 1GB. Whats the point of trying to repurpose old machines if they need 1GB of ram? I have other 1000 machines with 512mb of ram. Guess I'm stuck on XP until I can get the funds to replace them.

Are they all running ordinary DDR? If so, that's a problem, as DDR is expensive (even used). However, Mom's laptop (older Gateway Solo) is actually a prime candidate for 7 ThinPC, as it *has* 1 GB of RAM; 7 ThinPC is easily thumb-able, as it's smaller than 7 Home Premium (or even Starter), and has more features than Starter (Aero is a non-issue due to the Mobility Radeon 7500 graphics) - it hasn't seen 7 due to the lack of a DVD drive.

 

[PGHammer]

I suspect its for more than just VDI deployments, but as a Win7 modern replacement of Windows Fundamentals.

7 ThinPC is based on 7Embedded, but it can easily become a Home Basic/Starter/XP-killer (at least in North America, if not elsewhere) for three reasons:

1. For non-enterprise deployments (home and SMB primarily), it can directly replace 7 Home Basic and Starter, especially in Aero-capable notebooks/netbooks (there are actually a good number of those); further, it's thumb-able (the ISO is less than 2 GB), which opens the door for installs on formfactors lacking DVD drives (legacy desktops/laptops/notebooks).

2. It can run any software that is compatible with Windows 7, with only a few exceptions (a surprising one is Microsoft's own Security Essentials; ESET SmartSecurity however, installs just fine).

3. Corporate/enterprise dfeployment can, instead of investing heavily in VDI, simply re-image existing legacy PCs (a major issue where VDI isn't practical; VDI, while an option, doesn't fit everywhere, or every user), replacing either XP or Fundamentals images with 7 ThinPC.