KT and Microsoft develop $200-$300 "managed PC"
By Donald Melanson 
posted Jun 24th 2006 1:19AM
posted Jun 24th 2006 1:19AM
Korea's largest telecom company KT recently announced that it has partnered with Microsoft to develop a low-cost "managed PC," although the level of Microsoft involvement is unclear beyond, we'd presume, providing the software. Unlike other low-cost PC initiatives from Intel and, of course, the OLPC, KT's effort looks to primarily be a network-based thin client, which'll give users access to a variety of applications and multimedia content when connected to KT's servers. KT is also touting the security benefits of the PC, which it says will be less vulnerable to viruses and whatnot since all the management is done at the server side. Unfortunately, that's about all KT seems to be saying about the device; we don't even know whether it's a laptop or a desktop, let alone what sort of specs it has. (If we had to guess, we'd estimate it's probably a chunky CRT with an anemic networked embedded box and ports enough for your basic input devices.)
Isn't KT the name of the event that killed the dinosaurs?!!
-- /usr/bin/byte
This is great. I've been discussing this with a few friends lately. Internet providers in the US need to offer this service.
I think MS Terminal Services is definitely the tool to be used to provide access to the internet in schools, govt, low-income housing..
You don't need a beefy PC to function as a network PC.
This is a much better solution for low-income PC access than that toy laptop. The most expensive piece of a thin client is the screen.
I said access to the internet, but I meant the latest OS, latest applications, educational tools and internet.
Yes, But will it run Vista?
Sun has wanted to do this since they were formed as a company. If they can't pull it off, then it's probably not the kind of thing people need or want.
Sun had too many technicians and not enough business men.
Terminal services is what will bring 2nd, 3rd and 4th world countries to the internet. A (local) government controlled setup with dumb terminals attached to servers with internet connection is their future.
Great. More garbage to sell to the totally ignorant.
Agreed. My mom would probably take this over something pretty decent.
Groan.....People are still talking about thin clients??
Dell is selling fully functional pc's with a monitor for less than $400.00. How much cheaper can these things possibly be?
By the way....I have been to several third world countries...You know what they want even more than persistant broadband connections? FOOD! SECURITY! SHELTER! If you give these people computers they will probably use them to patch the holes in their roofs.