Sun Global Desktop: The Network is the Computer?
An article in Slashdot annouces the release of Sun Global Desktop.
In the Sun Website, here is a description of this product:
Sun Secure Global Desktop Software provides secure access to server-based applications running on Microsoft Windows, Solaris, Linux, HP-UX, AIX, Mainframe and Midrange systems from a wide variety of client platforms and devices. The software web-enables legacy applications quickly without costly re-writes and delivers those applications side-by-side with modern server-based applications. This allows for consolidation of critical applications and data onto highly reliable, centrally maintained servers and off individual desktop and laptop computers, improving manageability while increasing flexibility.
This brings back memories of Javastations (the brick) and Netras. There are numerous benefits to server-based applications and thin-clients. Ease of maintainance, speed of roll-out, unlimited scalability, centralized management, persistent sessions and many others. However, getting corporations out of the think desktop-mode is hard because of Microsoft’s dominance in that arena.
So enough talk, I tried logging into the Sun Global Desktop Demo Server. The first thing I noticed is that it is powered by Tarantella (the company formally know as Santa Cruz Operations). Btw, another company called Citrix also carries a similar remote desktop product. Upon logging in, I am present with a screen in which to select applications. Again, this screen looks like a Citrix application launcher. From here I can choose which application I want to execute. Here is a screenshot showing me run an MS Powerpoint Viewer. Click on the image to view a larger version.
On the left hand navigation bar, you will see the list of possible applications to use. Based on the look of the Mahjong program, it looks like the default mahjong that comes with Gnome. So, this is probably a JDS system. The Powerpoint viewer immediately loads a Powerpoint presentation of this solution (Sun Global Desktop). The demo was also pretty snappy even on a dial-up connection (48 kbps) so that is a plus.
It is pretty usable. But, I would still prefer using a desktop application (and may even consider using an AJAX application) over this one. The response time is still pretty sluggish (even on broadband). Also I still can’t see the difference between this and Citrix’s offering?
