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        Portable thin client's based on Dell notebook

        Jonathan Angel | Date: May 11, 2010 | Comments: 1


        Devon IT announced a thin-client notebook computer based on Dell's Vostro V13. The SafeBook Vostro includes a 13.3-inch display, a 1.2GHz Intel Celeron 743 processor, and the Windows Embedded Standard operating system, the company says.

        Devon IT describes the new SafeBook Vostro as its "fourth-generation" thin-client netbook. The company's first such device, the 2006 SafeBook, ran Windows XP Embedded on a 1.5GHz Via C7M processor, while 2009's SafeBook LVO, stepping up to a 2.0GHz Celeron processor, was based on Lenovo's ThinkPad R61. Last December, Devon IT followed up with the Dell-based SafeBook E5400x, running Windows Embedded Standard 2009 on a 2.2GHz Intel Celeron CPU.


        Dell's Vostro V13 (left) and the related SafeBook Vostro (right)
        (Click either to enlarge)

        The still-offered SafeBook E5400x had a 14.1-inch display, but the new SafeBook Vostro combines a smaller form factor with a 13.3-inch screen, Devon IT says. The company wasn't specific about which Dell Vostro model it employs as a base, but it would appear to be the Vostro V13 (above left), whose specs are a match for those cited by Devon IT.

        The Vostro V13 has a 13.3-inch screen with 1366 x 768 resolution and accepts up to 4GB of RAM via a single SODIMM slot. The device normally runs Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Ubuntu Linux from a 7200rpm SATA hard disk drive, but Devon IT's version omits the hard drive "to prevent against data theft, loss, or corruption."

        The SafeBook Vostro runs the Windows Embedded Standard 2009 operating system, according to Devon IT. As a result, the device incorporates Microsoft's write filters, which may be configured either to discard all changes to any storage device each time a thin client is restarted, or to allow changes only to selected directories.

        Devon IT touts the SafeBook Vostro's compatibility with Citrix's HDX technology, offered as part of the XenDesktop and XenApp products. HDX gives thin clients such features as USB 2.0 support, plug-and-play printing, real-time audio compatible with VoIP, and "true multi-monitor support," according to Citrix. It's said Flash, QuickTime, and Silverlight video may be rendered either via a server or on the client itself.

        According to Devon IT, the SafeBook Vostro supports Citrix's ICA (independent computing architecture) and Microsoft's RDP (remote desktop protocol). The notebook works with Windows Terminal Servers 2000/2003/2008, Citrix's XenAPP, XenDesktop and XenServer, VMware's View, Unix/Linux servers, and other legacy servers, the company says.

        Vostro V13 features, presumably all carried over to the SafeBook Vostro, include wireless networking, a gigabit Ethernet port, Bluetooth 2.1, and a 1.3 megapixel webcam, according to Dell. The V13 also offers one USB 2.0 port, one USB 2.0/eSATA combo port, a 34mm ExpressCard slot, a five-in-one card reader, and a VGA port, Dell says.

        Dell says that with its six-cell battery, the V13 weighs just 3.5 pounds. The SafeBook Vostro should weigh even less because of its lack of a hard disk drive, though Devon IT provided no further information.

        Features and specifications listed by Dell for the Vostro V13 or by Devon IT for the SafeBook Vostro include:

        • Processor -- Intel Celeron 743 clocked at 1.2GHz
        • Chipset -- Intel GS45
        • Memory -- Up to 4GB of RAM via single SODIMM slot
        • Display -- 13.3-inch LED-backlit screen with 1366 x 768 resolution
        • Camera -- 1.3 megapixel webcam
        • Storage -- flash memory (amount n/s)
        • Expansion -- 34mm ExpressCard slot; 5-in-1 card reader
        • Networking:
          • LAN -- gigabit Ethernet
          • WLAN -- versions vary, but "up to 802.11n"
          • WAN -- Dell 5540 mobile broadband module (optional)
          • PAN -- Bluetooth 2.1
        • Other I/O:
          • 1 x USB 2.0
          • 1 x USB 2.0/eSATA
          • VGA
          • Audio -- mic in and headphone out
        • Battery -- six-cell
        • Dimensions -- 13 x 9.06 x 0.78 inches
        • Weight (with hard drive) -- 3.5 pounds
        Joe Makoid, president of Devon IT, stated, "Devon IT has once again collaborated with Dell to provide advanced alternative desktop technologies capable of transforming the way IT pros think about computing. The SafeBook Vostro is the latest thin client to offer the best in durability, security, and performance, all at an extremely competitive price point."

        Further information

        Devon IT's list of thin clients, to which the SafeBook Vostro will presumably soon be added, may be found here. Dell's product page for the related Vostro V13 may be found here.

        According to Devon IT, the SafeBook Vostro will be shown off at this week's Citrix Synergy 2010 event in San Francisco, scheduled to run from May 12 to May 14. The company's booth is #430.

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