NERD ON THE STREET

A thin-client terminal that runs Microsoft Windows and supports token ring LAN computing has just become commercially available from Network Computing Devices (NCD). The NCD Thinstar 300TR and its predecessor, the Thinstar 300, use an Intel Pentium chip that supports the Intel Architecture Lean Client (IALC) definition for thin-client hardware. The newly announced NCD Thinstar 300TR is being pitched as a replacement for token ring devices that need legacy and Microsoft Windows NT application access. The Thinstar 300 and 300TR also offer graphics rendering with a high performance S3 Graphics processor and NCD-developed graphics optimization. NCD offers users a choice between an auto-sensing 10/100BaseT Ethernet interface or a token ring interface operating at 4 or 16 Mbps. Both models feature two serial ports, one parallel port, two Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports, and 16-bit audio input and output. Windows applications can use local peripherals, printer, or audio over either Citrix ICA or Microsoft RDP connections with optional NCD Thinstar software products. Every NCD Thinstar 300 and 300TR contains NCD Thinstar operating software based upon the Windows CE operating environment, key to NCD Thinstar's capabilities. The Thinstar 3000TR retails for $899.