4 viewing stations using one computer

In February, Pascal (our CTO) started testing devices from NComputing. They have some really useful technology that makes it simple and affordable to build viewing stations.

NComputing's multi-user terminal boxes allow you to add three users to an existing PC. Each terminal box connects to its own screen, mouse & keyboard. These small terminals are then connected to a desktop using a normal network cable.

Basically it creates a mini network of terminals and shares the computing power equally among them. Each terminal works independently from the other. Here is an overview video:



Pascal has tested the X300 and the L230. Both hardware models worked with PicSphere's kiosk solution, but he recommends the X300. It is simply less demanding on the network and that is a big advantage. A local photographer chose to try it out at a recent event, so we jumped in to the car to witness it in a "real-world" environment; they ended up working great. Here is a review of using NComputing's X300 to run viewing stations.

Pros:

• Very affordable.
• Easy to install and setup.
• Compact to transport and display.
• Low power consumption (the network cable supplies power eliminating the need for separate power adapters).

Cons:

• Not touch-screen compatible.
• The maximal screen resolution is 1024x768 (we updated the PicStores Kiosk to run on that resolution and it looks great).
• If something happens and the host PC goes down, you lose the linked stations.
• The maximum distance between the units to the host PC is 10 meters (15 feet).

Note that most of these limitations do not exist for the L Series Ethernet-based access terminals.

Price:
Tigerdirect is selling the NComputing X300 3 User Expansion Kit for $219.99 and 3-User Terminal Computing Bundle for $734.99 (included 3 screens, mousses and keyboards). You will also need one desktop computer.

Overall, it is a very affordable and a practical way to run viewing stations. It will suit the needs of most of our users but as always feel free to discuss your particular needs with our engineers before you make a hardware purchase.