Evaluating tablets as thin clients in the enterprise
There are numerous options for thin client hardware including dedicated thin clients and retired PCs, but the evolution of tablets makes them viable as virtual desktop endpoints.
Many organizations rely on thin clients for delivering virtual desktops and applications to their users because they offer several advantages over conventional desktops and laptops under the right circumstances.
Thin clients are stripped down endpoints that are only used to connect to desktops via a network connection. Also known as lean clients, they come in multiple forms, including dedicated devices, repurposed PCs and tablets, such as Apple's iPad and Samsung's Galaxy Tab series.
There has been a growing interest in tablets as thin clients because of how the devices have improved in both speed and usability while maintaining the same level of flexibility, portability and affordability. Although tablets aren't suited to all situations, they've become serious contenders in the desktop delivery arena.
Delivering virtual desktops through thin clients
Thin clients enable users to access virtualized services such as desktops and applications over the internet or a private network. The services run on remote servers in the cloud or on-premises, where the data is processed and stored, but they're delivered to users locally on their thin client devices.
The thin client transmits user input to the server, which in turn processes the requests and returns a response. The client displays that response in a user-friendly GUI, providing an experience similar to working directly on a physical desktop. Most of the processing and storage operations are handled by the server. The thin client is concerned only with displaying data returned by the server.
To interact with the virtual environment, a thin client requires certain hardware, such as a low-energy CPU, display screen, flash storage and network adapter. It also requires the software necessary to carry out simplistic local operations and connect to the server. Dedicated thin clients run a lightweight OS designed specifically for those systems.
Organizations often deploy thin clients in place of desktops and laptops with local OSes because they offer the benefits of delivering virtual workstations to users:
Security. Sensitive and personal data is stored on the host servers, rather than the local device. Even if the device is lost or stolen, the data remains safe. IT teams can also protect and manage the data more effectively in a centralized location.
Management. IT teams can centrally manage the thin clients themselves, making it possible to remotely update and configure devices in large numbers. Because thin clients are more basic systems than traditional PCs, they're easier to deploy and maintain.
Scalability. Thin clients are basic systems that rely on virtualized services to do the heavy lifting. As a result, they can be more quickly deployed than conventional desktops, making them easier to scale as workload demands change.
Energy usage and sustainability. Thin clients use less energy than local desktops. They also have a smaller footprint, are more durable and often have a longer lifespan, resulting in a lower environmental impact.
Costs. Thin clients are cheaper to purchase and maintain than PCs. They're also easier to deploy and manage, leading to further cost savings. The reduced environmental impact and longer lifespans also contribute to the savings.
Thin clients are often dedicated systems designed specifically to access virtual desktops and applications, with little processing and storage handled locally. The device's main purpose is to provide an interface to the desktop environment running on the server. A thin client might be designed specifically for VDI.
Some organizations use software thin clients, which are conventional PCs that have been repurposed as thin clients to help extend their lifespans and save on costs. This also helps IT avoid purchasing new equipment. Another type of thin client is the mobile device, which can also be used to connect to virtual desktops or applications. Tablets are the most common type of mobile device used for this purpose.
Using a tablet as a thin client
Under the right circumstances, tablets can make effective thin clients in certain use cases because they are lightweight and portable. This makes them effective for use cases such as remote workers, field workers or those who travel for business.
The use of tablets as thin clients is becoming more commonplace because the devices have improved in ways since they were first introduced:
Faster processing. Tablets have consistently improved performance with Apple at the forefront of this effort. The latest iPad Pro is built with the M4 chip, the same chip used in MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. The M4 chip comes with up to 10 cores and includes a 10-core GPU and 16-core neural engine. Other tablets have also boosted performance with faster chips. For example, Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra and Galaxy Tab S10+ come with the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ processor, which promises peak speeds up to 3.4 GHz on its Arm Cortex-X4 CPU.
Faster connectivity. As connectivity technologies have improved, so too have tablet communication speeds and reliability. Many tablets now support the latest standards, including 5G cellular, the Wi-Fi 6 and 6E wireless protocol, and Bluetooth 5.3. These technologies not only support faster connections, but they also provide greater security and ensure more stable communications.
Better peripheral support. The original tablets provided few choices for connecting to peripheral devices such as keyboards, mice or external displays. However, today's tablets offer both wireless and wired options for connecting peripherals, making it easier for users to navigate the virtual landscape, which in turn leads to greater productivity. The exact options available depend on the tablet and available peripheral devices. For example, a user might connect a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard to a Galaxy Tab device and then use a USB-C to HDMI adapter to connect an external monitor.
Improved user experience. Tablets have made it easier for users to work with virtual desktops and applications. Their high-resolution displays and high refresh rates enable users to see more details and interact more effectively with features and data. The devices also come with more user-friendly interfaces, provide stylus support, and include desktop-like features, such as multi-tasking. In addition, today's tablets offer longer battery life, weigh less than their predecessors, and leverage more of the tablet's surface area to provide larger displays.
Together, these advances can greatly improve the effectiveness of using tablets as thin clients. Many IT teams already support tablets in their organizations, either as corporate-owned, fully managed devices or as part of a BYOD program. IT can easily turn these tablets into thin clients by installing a special client app on the devices. The app establishes the connection to the virtual environment and provides an interface for working in it.
Many vendors provide client apps specific to their own products and services, and these apps have been steadily improving. For example, Microsoft now offers the Windows App client, which is replacing the Remote Desktop client. Windows App uses the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to connect to Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365, Remote Desktop, Remote Desktop Services, Microsoft Dev Box and other virtual environments. Windows App is available for devices running iOS, iPadOS, macOS, Android, Chrome OS and Windows. However, Windows users can still use the built-in Remote Desktop Connection app for traditional RDP connections.
Citrix offers a comparable app -- Citrix Workspace -- for its virtual services. The app is available for iOS, iPadOS, Android and several other OSes. It enables users to connect to Citrix virtual desktops and virtual apps, as well as to web apps, SaaS apps and features such as embedded browsing. Other vendors offer similar apps, such as Amazon's WorkSpaces client and Omnissa's Horizon client -- formerly VMware Horizon client.
After the client app has been installed on the tablet, admins must configure a connection for communicating with the target service. The connection settings might include information such as a computer name or IP address, gateway information or service-specific configuration options. The user will then use this connection to establish communications with the target service. During the initial connection, the user must provide the necessary credentials, based on the organization's and platform's requirements.
Once the user has logged into the service, the client app acts as an interface between the thin client and the hosted service. The client app displays the desktop in its current state, where the user can interact with the virtual environment. For example, if the user clicks a file icon to open that file, the client sends a request to the host server. The server processes the request and sends a response to the client app, which displays the file on the user's tablet. From the user's perspective, the entire process appears to have taken place on the tablet, even though all the work is done on the server.
Can tablets serve as viable thin clients?
Tablets can now deliver the processing power, connectivity, interfaces and peripheral support needed to make them viable candidates as thin clients. They also come with higher quality displays, longer battery lives and more responsive touch screens. In addition, tablets tend toward energy efficiency and are extremely portable.
Tablets can now deliver the processing power, connectivity, interfaces and peripheral support needed to make them viable candidates as thin clients.
Many users are already familiar with tablets, and even if the tablets work as thin clients, users can still access the device's other features and apps. For example, a field employee can connect to a virtual desktop as needed for work-specific information, but still use the tablet's GPS features to pinpoint a location or its browser to find more information about that location.
Despite these advantages, tablets as thin clients are not without their challenges. For instance, some applications might not perform as well on a tablet, such as those with high processing or graphics requirements. Thin client tablets also require continuous and reliable network connectivity. A poor connection can severely impact the user's ability to work or access vital information.
The screen size can also be a limiting factor on many tablets. User might have to perform extra scrolling or zooming to access certain information or features. For some operations, navigating the interface with the touch screen alone could be very cumbersome, especially when trying to multitask. Even if an external mouse or other peripherals are available, they might not behave as smoothly as their desktop counterparts.
Because of these limitations, tablets as thin clients are often best suited to certain use cases:
Remote work. Tablets as thin clients can be valuable for people who work in the field or are constantly on the go, such as sales reps, site inspectors, delivery drivers or service technicians. Users get quick and secure access to the resources they need whenever and wherever they need them, as long as they have reliable connections. Plus, they can still take advantage of the tablet's other tools.
Healthcare. Many healthcare professionals are continuously on the move, whether working on a hospital floor or visiting patients in their homes. Tablets allow them to securely access the necessary tools and records wherever they're located, while still providing the portability they need to move from patient to patient or cover large regions.
Retail and sales. Tablets as thin clients can function in retail and sales in several ways. For example, they might be used as public kiosks to provide customers with information or help streamline their experience, such as checking them in. On the other hand, store employees might use them as point-of-sale (POS) terminals or to check inventory or order new products.
Education and training. Teachers across all disciplines can benefit from using tablets as thin clients in their classrooms. Admins can deploy tablets in large numbers, and each endpoint can have multiple student users or for different classes. Students only need to log into their virtual desktops to access resources, such as coursework, exams or syllabi. In many cases, students can use the touch screen or stylus to navigate their virtual environments.
BYOD programs. Many organizations have implemented BYOD programs that incorporate tablets into their MDM platforms. In such cases, admins can easily turn those tablets into thin clients by installing the appropriate client app and configuring the proper connection. Users can then log into their virtual desktops at any time from any location. The organization does not have to pay for new hardware, and IT does not have to provision new devices. In addition, users are already familiar with their tablet environments, helping to ease the transition.
These are by no means the only ways that tablets can be used as thin clients. They can also play an important role in SMBs, which often have limited budgets and IT resources. An SMB can easily deploy and maintain numerous tablets across its organization, using mobile device management policies to manage and update them. Larger organizations can also benefit from thin client tablets, although they're more likely to limit their use to specific roles and use cases, such as field workers or sales reps.
Robert Sheldon is a freelance technology writer. He has written numerous books, articles and training materials on a wide range of topics, including big data, generative AI, 5D memory crystals, the dark web and the 11th dimension.
