back to article Hit the Pano button - desktops go virtual

Marry the renewed thin client/blade PC rage with the uproar around virtualization software, and you get Pano Logic. The Silicon Valley start-up has crafted a dual-front attack on corporate and consumer PCs. The assault starts with a homemade device called the Pano that handles network, keyboard, mouse, monitor and peripheral …

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  1. Pauli Jokela

    Hah.

    What's actually funny about this is that in finnish, Pano basically means screwing, as in "she's my regular pano" or "let's pannaan" (pannaan comes from the word pano).

    Anyway, it's funny, imho.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I'm sorry...

    ...But the network is down today, Sir. Why? It has PMS problems.

  3. Jason Togneri

    Hit the Fuck button

    Yes, I was also amused by that (in English, it's a common joke to add an 'i' to a "To let" sign - in Finnish, it's a common joke to remove an 'i' from "Pika paino", quick print, making it "pika pano", quick fuck). It's quite an interesting slip given the context of the article...

    "For one, the company's sleek Pano device has a, er, Pano button."

    I also like the fact that it has a PMS function - I'm guessing that for three weeks, it's Pano, then the fourth week, it's PMS...

  4. Dom

    So what *does* it work on, thin air?

    If it really does have "no CPU, no memory, no operating system, and no software" as they claim, then they *have* rewritten the rule book!

  5. Lee Craig

    Pano and LG joint venture?

    If Pano and LG were to team up, they could create a stylish new box called the "Pano Chocolat"...

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    This isn't a thin client...

    this is an ethernet based kvm extender with the server side virtualized. So instead of plugging your kvm extender into a blade and putting the other half on your desktop, you only need the desktop part. All hardware is virtualized, so users are not limited by the number of vga ports on the server side and since it's just a kvm extender, there is no os involved on the client side. It will be a bit slower, since the network lag will be visible on the movement of the mouse cursor, but in theory it's possible to use server side 3d accelerators too, as long as the network has the required bandwidth. Imho for desktop use 100 Mbit per user will be enough.

  7. Ashlee Vance (Written by Reg staff)

    At Dom

    It has an FPGA

    AV

    www.theduckrabbit.com

  8. The Mighty Spang

    i like the idea

    apart from developers and gamers, nobody really needs a pc on their desk. it is a giant waste of resources building thousands of cpus that mostly run at under 10% usage.

    for the it dept this is great, less engineers needed to run about changing cheapo PSUs. no more people storing critical information locally on hard drives, eschewing storing them on backed up network shares.

    great for facilities management, less aircon needed in user areas to eat up all the wasted heat.

    what we just want now is a way to give them to 'needy' home users (like parents, grans etc) at the end of a DSL cable. it will keep their firewall, anti virus up to date, allow safe installing of software and give the rest of us a bit of peace and quiet :)

  9. amanfromMars Silver badge

    And all in the best possible taste ......

    A perfect partner for dDutch NEUKlearer Technology, Pauli? Hot and Horny with the Attention being in the undisclosed details? ....... http://www.freedict.com/onldict/onldict.php

    Pano...... for Total Information Awareness and Intelligent Storage and Distribution Network Services?

    Very Zen indeed, in Deed ..... or would that be Post Modern Reformist Viking?

  10. Martin Usher

    How is this innovative?

    This is just yet another variation on the Corona Data Systems "Mega PC" from the 1980s. This device used TV coax to transfer the monitor image (up) and keyboard (down) from a PC blade. Then you could use an authentic terminal (but they tended to have a processor in them) or an X terminal (definitely have a processor in them) -- fine if you've got a dedicated link or low latency network connection, but otherwise potential problems.

    PCs are ridiculously cheap anyway. Why bother with reinventing the wheel? The typical Windows PC only needs maintaining because its full of self-inflicted probems anyway and with the shift to browser based applications theres even less need for constant twiddling with the PC's software.

  11. Chris

    Virtualization vs thin client

    This product appears to offer what i view as one huge advantage over typical thin client systems: it's a virtual client OS. To me, that makes all the different. The primary reason I would never even consider using thin clients for anyone is that the client OS is really the server OS (at least with Windows Terminal Services, which is all I've had experience with). For typical tasks, this isn't necessarily bad. But what do you do when the user infects their "system" with a virus or malware? Sorry, but now you have to down the server to get rid of the baddies, kicking everyone offline. I'd rather spend the extra cash on individual boxes for everyone and only affect one person at a time. Same thing for when an application hangs the "system". Thin clients seem good in theory, but in practice (as I've seen them), they're anything but. Now, with virtual client OSs completely separated from each other, all that could change. For a typical office user, this sounds like it just might work as long as you have enough extra bandwidth on your network (depending on how the virtual client OS is set up and administered).

  12. Tom Simnett

    @Chris

    Which is why Acorn developed an OS that could be installed in EEPROM. Those were the days - The NetStation was a true thin-client. Local ROM based OS, and the server held the applications. Job well and truly done.

  13. Brian Richardson

    Virtualisation, thin clients and..... Streaming

    Be afraid, well, don't be afraid. Part of Virtualisation is Streaming.

    Microsoft Softgrid incorporates Streaming technology licensed from Endeavors Technology. I believe Citrix uses AppStream, also using technology licensed from Edeavors (Toot Toot)

    http://www.endeavors.com

    Streaming is a method by which only the bare minimum of an application, enough to get it up and running and thereafter only the bits you need, are downloaded to your computer as and when you need them. The footprint is much smaller and the applications are 'sandboxed'.

    In addition maintainence, control, monitoring, access and charging can and are all done server side. However, to the end user the application appears and runs on their machine as if it were really installed locally.

    Streaming is not strictly virtualisation and does not require virtualisation methods to function....

    Have a look at http://www.www.stream24-7.com which was set up to demonstrate Application Streaming.

    The front page blurb says....

    "Welcome to Stream24-7.com – the world’s first web site to offer free software using application streaming, the latest application delivery technology. Application streaming is the powerful alternative to the traditional software download and installation methods. There are no downloads or installations – the software is streamed to your PC in much the same way as video and music. All you need is your Application Player.

    Stream24-7.com was created to provide unlimited, on-demand access to best-of-breed, free software available on the Internet, without the need to download large files or install the application on your machine."

    It does what it says on the tin. For example over a 5MBs ADSL it takes 5 minutes to do an 'install' of Open Office 2.2 and, unless deactivated the program comes up just as fast as if it was really there. When you do deactivate it, and the other programs on offer it is gone as in gone.

    Toot Toot

    Brian

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    yet another gimmick

    this is just another slow hamstrung

    piece of crap it won't work well enough

    for anyones needs stop wasting

    everyones time with this dross.

    If this fits your operation you don't

    need a computer at all.

  15. Dave Lawton

    @Chris

    RISC OS is still around - see

    http://www.riscosopen.co.uk/

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