Now, seven people at seven desks can use a single desktop. The software giant, Microsoft has developed a desktop PC, which can run up to seven workstations. Each workstation has its own keyboard, monitor and mouse but they will share single microprocessor.
nComputing is selling the Xtenda card, which turns a Desktop PC as a mainframe computer that allows seven people to use one PC as their own processors from their desk. The technology needs a circuit card, which plugs into the host PC Control software. The plug-in card has jacks for three cords that go to three black boxes. Each box has plugs for a mouse, keyboard and monitor.
Russian hardware engineers have developed the plug-in card, while the Polish programmers have written the software programming to pass the information from the host and its satellites.
According to Stephen Dukker, chief executive of privately held nComputing, the company has spent the last dozen years in developing its PC sharing hardware and software in Germany, Russia and Poland. Two Xtenda cards can be plugged into a single desktop PC, which enables one microprocessor to allow seven people to work simultaneously.
Scott Smith, director of instructional technology for the Visalia Unified School District in Tulare County has installed about 30 Xtenda systems in his district of 34 schools and 26,000 students.
He said:
The school uses one Xtenda card per host PC, creating a host and three satellites. In this configuration, performance is good except when the host PC runs a processor-intensive task such as editing digital video. Students who use this equipment don’t even know they’re on a shared workstation.
Image Credit: Mobile Whack
Via: SfGate
