How do I go about sharing computer resources?

[Jethro S]

In our household we have 3 different computers being used at different times. Not to mention every time we have a serious computer problem our "computer guy" usually resorts to buying whole new towers as the answer. What I'm looking to do is to switch from the current system in favor of having all our computer resources pooled from one unit, and to have the terminals serve only as inputs/outputs. I'm not sure if what I need is a server frame/shelf, or if software is required. Basically, how do I turn a bunch of computers into one computer that can handle multiple users? Thanks in advance.

 

[C0RR0SIVE]

You would be better off sticking with three computers that are of decent quality... Going the server route with terminals like that tends to be much more costly and wont provide the same performance as separate machines. As for the guy that rather buy a whole new machine each time, ditch him and find an actual shop to look at your computer issues.

 

[cb600fshornet]

You would be better off sticking with three computers that are of decent quality... Going the server route with terminals like that tends to be much more costly and wont provide the same performance as separate machines. As for the guy that rather buy a whole new machine each time, ditch him and find an actual shop to look at your computer issues.

I agree, though it does depend how old the tower is that was broken.

I had a client who complained that their IT technician replaced a tower when it had a problem, when I heard the technicians view it made more sense... they were still rocking early Pentium 4 chips with 512MB RAM. Apparently he'd been itching for an excuse to replace the old PCs!

 

[Lexluethar]

For 3 computers you will not save any money going to a pooled environment. If you expand to say 10 computers you may save money going to a pooled environment.

As for the computer tech - ask him why. He may have a reason for suggesting new PCs. generally speaking if a PC is 5 to 7 years old the cost of repairs may outweigh the cost of a new computer (depends on the issue).

 

[cb600fshornet]

This suggestion was covered on computerforums last month, it can get quite expensive to try and pool resources, or if you use non-dedicated software you simply won't get the experience you want to achieve.

Idea for setup in the future... - Computer Forums