I am not sure if it is possible, I want to do some data entry jobs which involves use of excel sheets only, I need 10 computers for this, I am thinking if it is possible, to buy a server with high configuration and attach ten monitors along with keyboard and mouse and any other instrument that may be required, but with single hard disk, RAM and CPU that will be installed on the server itself. I am using windows XP. The purpose is cut down the cost.
OK so you are building a desktop that will act as a server or building a server cause thats different. Also i found this link because I don't know a lot about a large amount of displays, but i did found this link. Multi_display_help Also if you had one set of the core hardware, cpu, ram, mainboard. then you would have one computer. ok so you want one one computer with a bunch of hard drives that will run a lot of monitors. Ether your going to need a specific board that will support a lot of graphics cards or a real expensive one like a Nvidia quatro or ATI fireGL card. Also you'll need specific software to control all the monitors. OK so i think i have everything straight if not or i do just get back and we can go from there
You need to be looking at some kind of Terminal Services program. The users sitting at their workstations can log onto the server and bring up a 'virtual desktop'. See here
I have done some research and found that there are some PC sharers in the market, whereby I can use one computer as server and then attaching the PC sharer with that computer and from the PC sharer, I can connect monitors and Keyborad mouse to the main computer. But PC sharer is also expensive, so can there be some type of hardware and software combination, that will produce the same result as PC sharer. Somebody told me that If I use a dual head matrox card, that can display two independent displays on two monitors, and use two USB keyboard and two USB mouse, then two person can work on same computer independtly, do you think it is possible.
Well, yes. Jetway had some special software to allow for two users at once that they pacakged with their TwinView line of motherboards. It was a pretty basic mainframe, but that did what you want. I don't know if this software is available for download or not. They only had two motherboards with it that I'm aware of.
10 monoitors on one computer?, umm i dont know how thats possible, but i noticed that at my High School they used these WYSE (i think thats what it's called) systems, all it was, was a little white box, you connected your keyboard up to that, mouse monitors, it had usb ports etc.., then went via an ethernet cable to the server, i think they were called thin clients, they were preety slow, but had microsoft office, propor windows xp on, although no software was on these little white boxes, they were like a virtual desktop, had about 3 or 400 connected to this one server.
HP Provides these type of solutions. You can use Limited number of Processors on more computers, share workload between processors, transfer workload from one to another processor etc.. Go to any HP Vendor and ask him about this... He might give you some advice if he knows his subject.
One major problem: You cannot edit Excel files by more than one user simultaneously; the file is locked by the first user. Writing to a locked Excel file will corrupt the file. If you want to do something with a database large enough to merit a server, I strongly recommend using a real database to do so. Incidentally, there are some really good databases out there which are fast, stable and free. On the other hand, if you are working with many small spreadsheets which are largely independant of one-another and will not be edited by more than one user concurrently, you might be able to save a lot of money outright just by using OpenOffice.org instead of buying MS Office for several hundred dollars a seat. You still have the file locking limitation, but none of the licensing problems. You can take this cost-saving idea even further by using as much open-source software as you're brave enough to implement. For example, by using a combination of Linux, OpenOffice.org, and PostgreSQL you could have an enterprise-grade network which is immune to viruses by design and costs $0 in software. Add an open-source, powerful and flexible firewall such as PFsense, m0n0wall or IPCop and a full-featured, robust and easy-to-use server such as SME Server and you've saved thousands in time, support, licensing and even hardware. And what's best of all, the end result is a network which is flexible, powerful and reliable. Need another server years from now? Ten more workstations with office suites on each? All you have to pay for is the hardware, since the software is all free.
Thanks Willz you are very near to what I need. is there any other similar options that is more readily available in the market. thanks.
i aint sure about that, but about the WYSE systems, there proberbly going to cost ALOT of money although i am no sure on that, i think you would be better off making a server, i had a computer running SME Server, it was 1.2ghz celeron, 384mb of ram, 250gb hdd, worked perfectly, then as AT suggested having a powerfull and flexible firewall (which will require its own computer, unless the server can be used as one too?), but if you use linux, then really all you need is to find some really cheap old computers, and get the relivent software, you maybe could get 10 really old computers for under £200?, dont know if you know anywere to get any computers though, but it would be alot better than those WYSE systems and also proberbly be even cheaper, i dont know much about linux, AT and megamaced are the people for that
