14 DAY TRIAL // NComputing, a company with a similar goal to that of Intel and the OLPC project, namely to deliver a computer system that is affordable for everyone, is said to be planning a new product that will enable a single desktop PC to provide up to 11 workstations.
The company's solution is based on virtualization, and is basically an upgrade to one of the current solutions, the X300, which allows for a single PC to serve up to 7 users. The X550 will come out as an alternative to low-cost computer systems, such as the OLPC or Intel's Classmate, designed for educational purposes.
The X550 desktop virtualization appliance, expected to be officially announced on Wednesday, has been designed to offer users a way by which they can reduce the necessary costs, and to present students with an affordable and accessible computing experience. Basically, with the X550, up to 11 computer users will be able to connect to a single PC, given that they have a mouse, keyboard and display of their own.
NComputing's X300 solution is said to have reduced the cost of computing to as little as $70 per workstation. However, while the X300 is good for only seven workstations on a single PC, the upcoming X550 boosts that number to a good 11, which should also lower the total cost for computing. Unfortunately, no details regarding the pricing or availability of the X550 have been made public so far, but they are bound to surface later this week, when the company will officially intro the new product.
Creating a computer system that is both low on cost and capable of providing the basics in computing experience has been a main focus for several major companies, including Intel. Given all this, the concept has drawn the attention of many, some of which have even decided to take matters into their own hands and develop a solution of their own, such as is the case with the OLPC laptop.