Thin Client definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin_client

"Ultra-thin" client or "zero client" mentioned in this link is closest to what I consider a virtual desktop. Thin client is different than a PC in that the CPU is lower-end, has no hard drives or optical drives (uses flash). Costs are the about the same with a PC. Virtual desktops have no OS, no CPU, no HDD, etc. They just provide an interface for keyboards and mice. Software is loaded on a PC that allows multiple virtual user sessions to be distributed to multiple separate client devices.

You can get many of these questions answered through Google or Wikipedia.

Total cost of ownership (TCO) calculations. You can find a discussion on an article I posted to this site here: http://edutechdebate.org/individal-and-communal-c...

I reference 60%, but we've seen savings on actual deals up to 75%.

Yes, research demonstrating this value vs. additional access for more students would be useful. I also think it should be measured on a scale of one's age/grade. I would guess the older / higher grade a student is, the more valuable portability becomes.

Keep in mind that what I'm talking about from NComputing technically isn't a thin client. We call them virtual desktops. Our warranty is 3 years, but failure is rare given no moving / hot parts. They are closed, durable boxes the size of a cigarette pack. The only advantage for OLPC is really portability, and with virtual desktops at 75% of the lifetime cost of an XO, it questions whether it is better to use those $'s to put more kids in front of computers then to give less kids portability.

Cavin, the $65 price was for a large tender (>$60K seats) so that obviously isn't a public price. The monitors were new. The $89 price was on TigerDirect.com after a $70 rebate for a new $17" widescreen monitor. Street pricing in China where I am now is around $125 for a 19" monitor. Go ahead and shop around and you should be able to find similar pricing. Bottom line is that monitor prices have come down significantly.

Ed, my point about the netbook fever slowing in the education sector is that I think the OLPC and Intel Classmate PC hype mission will have become but a memory (this is already happening). I have no issue with netbooks or notebooks for that matter for use in schools, but I question the tradeoff of the benefit of portability over cost. Higher costs mean less computers being purchases, reducing the number of students that have access. Is it better for more kids to have access to computers, or fewer that can now carry it around with them?

But does it matter if iPad becomes reading device of choice? My prediction: Amazon remains leader in e-books, whether it is on their device or not. There is no money in hardware once it becomes commoditized.

Businessweek recently posted a very similar article to this, entitled "Apple's Hard iPad Sell" (http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/fe... The author's conclusions are similar to mine.

Carol, as a parent of three boys, two of which have ADHD, I can clearly see the benefits. At what age is this typically taught?

Thank you for pointing that out. Apparently it is not as easy to remember for a lao wai (foreigner). I have made the correction.