Thin Client Definition: In the client-server computing model, the client is a computing device that accesses a remotely located server. The phrase "thin client" refers to a client computer that is not very powerful and can't function without connecting to a server and network.
Thin clients generally have slow processors, little RAM, and little or no storage space. All the software needed to operate the thin client is received over a network, and most or all of the processing for the client is done on a server.
Advances in networking and virtualization technology make it possible for a thin client to provide have an experience very similar to a PC. Thin clients are usually less expensive than full PCs. Thin clients often increase the processing load on servers and may not provide all the features of a PC.
Some vendors provide software that allows obsolete, underpowered PCs to act as thin clients.
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