| Desktop Energy Consumption ; A Comparison of Thin Clients and PCs
Prepared For Wyse Technology Inc., September 2001
Overview
Over the past
ten years, PCs have become an essential part of business. People
need computers to do their jobs, plain and simple. However, computing
has evolved since the creation of the personal computer, and businesses
now have the option of turning to PC-alternative devices such as
thin clients to deliver business-class computing at a fraction of
the cost. Thin-client devices provide businesses with cost saving
opportunities that are difficult or impossible to measure in the
traditional PC environment.
The
purpose of this paper is to quantify one such cost: the cost of
energy consumption of business desktop devices. Energy consumption
is a major concern for businesses and the global population as a
whole, and an important part of a bigger IT concern called total
cost of ownership. This paper will illustrate the significant cost
difference between personal computers and thin clients, and the
possible financial benefits for businesses.
This study covers:
- Power
consumption and total cost of ownership
- Server-based computing and thin clients
- PCs versus thin clients: power consumption results
- Implications for power savings
Conclusion
Based on the results of this study, it is clear that thin-client
devices are more energy-efficient than personal computers, with
some models using 85 percent less power than their PC rivals in
real world environments. This energy efficiency translates into
significant, measurable cost savings for businesses both in the
short term and the long term, whether an organization is using dozens,
hundreds or thousands of desktop devices. Finally, the ability to
deploy desktop devices with integrated liquid crystal displays (LCDs)
affords businesses an even greater opportunity to reduce the energy
consumption of their IT environment.
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