Is Eiger really a thin-client Windows?
The Eiger version of Windows will run on old hardware and promises security equivalent to XP SP2
If surveys are right, many companies still use Windows 98 or even Windows 95 on desktops. Typically, they run on older kit, and an upgrade to Windows XP would require newer hardware – an expense that many firms are currently reluctant to bear.
This creates a dilemma. The old operating systems are now unsupported, so Microsoft will not fix any security flaws that might surface in future.
Microsoft’s solution seems to be a forthcoming product codenamed Eiger – a stripped-down version of Windows that will run on legacy kit but will offer the same security enhancements as XP Service Pack 2.
This will give firms with older PCs a lifeline until their next upgrade, which will probably be when Windows Longhorn ships.
This may sound like good news. But is there a catch? Well, so performance doesn’t suffer on legacy hardware, most apps will be hosted on a server instead of running locally. In other words, Eiger turns your PC into a thin client terminal.
Microsoft is coy about this, saying that Eiger is best regarded as a “lean client”. But what’s the difference between “thin” and “lean”? Early information on Eiger says it will run only Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, and RDP or ICA clients locally. Look at the spec of Windows-based terminals from Wyse or Neoware and see if you can find any difference.
But this isn’t a bad thing. Anyone who has used a thin client knows it makes little difference for standard applications. In fact, I would bet that users given Eiger instead of Windows 98 probably wouldn’t notice that Word or Excel isn’t running locally.
If there is a drawback, it will be in licence fees. If Eiger costs as much as XP, firms will probably consider it poor value. Microsoft also has a habit of imposing stealth charges in the form of client access licences on top of the software price. And some firms will need beefier servers to host applications.
But maybe Microsoft is wary of calling Eiger a thin client in case it is a big success. If firms become accustomed to server-based computing, they might opt for thin client terminals for the next desktop refresh. And thin clients do not have to run Windows – many are Linux-based to keep the cost down.
Even if this doesn’t happen, IT managers may ask what is taking Microsoft so long. It has been planning to end-of-life everything except XP for years now, yet Eiger seems to be a recent project. Did it assume everyone would just shrug their shoulders and upgrade to XP?
Eiger isn’t due until next year at the earliest. Potential users must be praying that no major new flaws are found in older versions of Windows before then.