Tektronix Thin200CE
Tektronix has earned its reputation in the computing industry largely through the development of high-quality graphics terminals and color printers. Its entry into the CE Windows-based terminal market appears to follow that tradition of high-quality software and hardware. The Thin200CE provides a standard set of features, very good performance and a functional pizza-box form. Like Network Computing Devices' ThinSTAR, the Thin200CE uses an NEC 4300 RISC processor.

The Thin200CE provided the best performance of any of the WBTs we tested when using Microsoft's RDP protocol, but it didn't fare as well when using Citrix's ICA, particularly in the word processing benchmark. Tektronix attributed this to a problem with the MIPS version of CE and indicated it was working with Microsoft to correct the problem. The ThinSTAR also suffered from a similar difference between ICA and RDP performance on the word processing benchmark, though it wasn't as severe as that experienced by Tektronix's box. We are confident that this problem will be corrected.

We liked the Tektronix form the best of any unit we tested. The system unit itself fits well under a 15-inch monitor, thus minimizing desktop space overhead. Audio input and output jacks are easily accessible on the side of the system unit.

While absent in the unit we tested, a fairly robust management suite will be available by the time you read this, according to Tektronix. Included in that management suite is SNMP support, Web-based configuration and a centralized configuration database manager. This range of management functionality provides significant flexibility for systems administrators, and we think Tektronix's focus on management is right on target.

While we liked the Thin200 CE features and functionality, its list price of $849 is the highest of any product we tested, and it has only a one-year warranty. While Tektronix initially agreed to provide us with estimated costs for a 100-unit purchase, it later changed its mind, saying it would be inappropriate to do so in light of its channel relationship with distributors. We tried to secure a hypothetical quantity purchase quote from a local Tektronix reseller, but pricing was not yet available to that vendor.

Neoware Systems NeoStation 220 Windows-Based Terminal
Neoware has been long regarded as an innovator in the thin-client marketplace, and its @Workstation network computer earned our Editor's Choice award in last year's review of thin clients (see "Are NCs Really Worth the Price of Admission?" at www.networkcomputing. com/807/807cn2.html). The NeoStation continues that tradition within the rather rigid boundaries imposed by a product category in which all systems run the same OS.

Not only was the NeoStation the lowest-priced product we tested ($499), it was also the only one based on Motorola's PowerPC system design, which integrates all system functionality except for the video subsystem into a single chipset.

While we aren't big fans of the upright system designs used by NCD, Wyse and Neoware, we judged the NeoStation design to be the best of the bunch. The front panel includes LEDs for power and network activity, as well as jacks for connecting a microphone and speakers.

Neoware's thin-client strategy focuses on offering a single device that is capable of running a variety of operating systems. The same box that ran Windows CE is also able to run Neoware's NetOS thin-client operating system, which provides significantly greater overall functionality than Windows CE, albeit at the expense of somewhat greater overall system complexity.

Unfortunately, when it came to performance, the beta NeoStation unit we tested fell far short of the competition. Ironically, the identical hardware platform running ICA under the vendor's proprietary NetOS operating system turned in better performance numbers than any of the CE devices tested in this review. Neoware claims that performance will be much improved in the production release of the product, which is scheduled to ship by year's end. In addition, ICA support was not available in the unit we tested, though Neoware said it would correct that deficiency by ship date.