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RSSNComputing Offers Alternative to OLPC XO Laptops
The OLPC project was a grand vision. Making computers accessible to the young generations provides them a portal to information that should go a long way in reducing the knowledge divide. But at $188, the project is still a tad costly on a per child basis. Enter Virtualization. A concept that makes one physical computer system host several virtual systems with resources allocated to them.
California based NComputing is using virtualization to provide an alternative to governments looking to provide affordable computing resources in their learning centers. The software from NComputing turns a PC into a number of virtual PCs which can be accessed by maximum 30 people, each with their dedicated mouse, monitor and keyboard.
An excerpt from PC World:
NComputing’s virtualization software runs on a desktop PC, said Stephen Dukker, chairman and CEO of NComputing. That PC is connected through an access terminal with the “virtual” PCs, which consist of a monitor, keyboard and mice, also known as “thin clients.”
The thin client does not have any storage. All of the computing is done on the main PC. NComputing software works with Microsoft’s Windows and Linux operating systems.
A single PC has more than enough processing power to be shared by several users, Dukker said. A typical person running productivity, multimedia, e-mail and Web browsing applications uses on average just 1 to 2 percent of the capacity of standalone PCs, with occasional peaks using 10 to 20 percent of a computer’s processing power, he added.
While the XO laptop provides a personalized all time available computing resource, it is pertinent question whether laptops are the solution for the same, if at all portable computing is as much a necessity. NComputing’s virtualized solution does provide a better priced alternative to the OLPC.
Arun on October 15, 2008 
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“While the XO laptop provides a personalized all time available computing resource, it is pertinent question whether laptops are the solution for the same, if at all portable computing is as much a necessity. NComputing’s virtualized solution does provide a better priced alternative to the OLPC.”
NComputing isn’t really mobile, is it? Its a lab type solution. OLPC XOs go home with the children. Two very different things.
Yes, its true that NComputing’s approach is not portable. But its an alternative solution from the price point. The cost per individual comes down to as much as $70.
What is the power draw for Ncomputing? XOs run between 0.25W and 8.7W. Thin clients are OK in urban schools where electricity is not an issue, but how can village schools afford to run them?
Also, this is a Windows product. It cannot run the collaborative Sugar software for the XO, which allows students to work on homework or classwork together.
The NComputing device’s power draw comes to around 5W but that would not include the ones needed for the monitor (which is what consumes a chunk on electricity). Over all the complete draw per user comes to about 30W which is way more than what the XO uses.
The Sugar interface runs on Linux but its always possible to have a port developed for Windows. But again, Sugar had been developed with the screen and power constraints of the XO laptop in mind.
The most misleading thing about solutions like ncomputing are that the “1 to 5 watts” figure ignores the “hundreds of watts” being burned at the shared PC in the back. At 150 watts for the shared PC and 5 watts for each thin client, thats 150+55=205 watts. 11 OLPC XOs consume 11*8=88 watts and guess what? The children take it home! nComputing math is nowhere near clean. More like reptilian oil, if you ask me!
Not a word on children or education in this article. Strange, isn’t it? We are asking foxes to build hen houses. Do not complain when you lose all your chickens!