Wyse Technology next week plans to announce a new high-end Windows-based terminal tuned for streaming video applications.
The only catch is that to really exploit video, customers will have to wait for software changes from Microsoft and its partner Citrix Systems, which are expected later this year.
The new Winterm 3350SE uses the powerful 200MHz MediaGX processor from National Semiconductor's Cyrix division and a companion chip that decompresses a video datastream and displays it on the terminal screen. This leaves the main processor free to run several server-based applications in separate windows.
The vendor says the terminal is aimed at corporate customers that want to use streaming video to deliver training programs to users' desktops.
Because the MediaGX chip creates considerable heat, Wyse engineers had to turn to an unusual cooling source for a thin client: a water-cooled system using a tenth of an ounce of water.
Also new with the 3350SE:
10/100BaseT network interface card
support for 1280x1024 screen resolution and deeper colour depth for future video applications two USB ports to supplement the standard PCMCIA card bus
The new terminal is ready to ship now and Wyse estimates the street price will be about $US749, although large orders will discount that even further.