Update 02/27/2009: Read this blog entry on trouble-shooting NComputing.

N Computing first came to my attention when someone dropped off a box in my office and said, “Tell me what you think.” Since then, N Computing has come under some more serious scrutiny in educational technology–school districts–because it’s a low-cost way to provide access.

It works pretty simply. You provide one computer that will run the software you need, then hook up a few monitors, keyboards and mice to a little box is connected to the one computer. This gives the end-user the experience of using a computer program even though s/he is really connected to a little box that is hooked up to ONE computer. You can get 5-10 boxes hooked up and so you can imagine the potential savings for school districts.

Here’s a write-up from their web site…does it work? Yes.

Up to seven students can simultaneously use the excess power of any standard PC with the NComputing X300. Each student enjoys their own keyboard, screen, settings, applications, and data files—as if they were working at an independent machine. This means that a 35-seat PC lab can be created using only 5 shared PCs and 30 NComputing X300 virtual PCs…

Each X300 kit includes a PCI card, which you plug into the PCI slot of a PC. The PCI card has three ports. Three included 30-foot long cables connect the ports to three X300 access devices. The access devices, in turn, connect to keyboards, monitors and mice. Each PC can support up to 7 students by using two NComputing X300 kits. The X300 works with standard PC applications and delivers rich PC performance at an incredible price.

In Texas, of course, the focus is on online testing and whether you can use some Microsoft apps. In reviewing the comments below about N Computing, what do you think? Is this a solution that works?

Here are some comments:

I like the idea of the Xtenda products however there are limitations. I tested some last year in our elementary lab and I had to pull them out because they did not like to run on some lower resolutions so some programs wouldn’t run. Also it seemed that after every MS update they ended up not functioning correctly. After a couple of days N-Computing would release the ‘fix’. After removing them from the EL. Lab I redeployed them in my AG department and they are working great. The only things the AG computers are used for are Internet, PlasmaCAM (plasma cutter design software), and livestock spreadsheets. I also created a separate group in AD so that the Xtenda computers do not get the updates till later. I am still planning to deploy more of them possibly in some classrooms, libraries and maybe BCIS labs.

***

I am using it in the Library and a number of classrooms (nearly a dozen), especially in Elementary where teachers wanted more workstations.

Because we have a Citrix Farm environment and teachers wanted to use certain software (for the same students) in different classrooms during the day, we emulated the CDs on a server and they generally run OK. I do have to make a lot of notes about how many licenses we have and match those up against how many we give access to through Citrix, but it beats running around all over the school. Some of the emulated CDs would run OK without the Citrix Farm of servers.

***

I am using it in all all of my libraries and in all of my computer labs except at the elementary level. The elementary lab uses CD for several of their programs and I have not found a good way to make them work. I also have been using them in several classrooms that wanted extra computers for web based applications.

***

We have been running some pilots at the Elementary Schools to see what would or would not work with the X300. Right now the two programs that don’t want to cooperate are Read 180 (video overlay issue) and Kid Pix (won’t allow two iterations of the program to run). However, we have since been steered toward Tux Paint as a replacement for Kid Pix and it looks like a great product (and free). So far this is the greatest product that I have seen in long time. It looks like a the ideal solution for classroom computer clusters or for labs that get hit an miss use. I think I still will go with single computer solutions for high use labs. The down side for a X300 lab is if the one computer goes down, you loose four stations.

***

We’ve been using the X300s for about a year and a half. Installed them in one classroom at first as a test, just after we set up our Citrix server farm (all software runs on/through the Citrix servers! – or not at all.)I now have about 70 X300 workstations and teachers want more. We havefound software that will work in the Citrix environment (this is the bigcatch) and teachers know that is crucial (most anyway). This is a cheapsolution and the combination of Citrix and X300 is blazingly fast. Adding more workstations for only about $100 (if you have some oldmonitors in storage!) is amazing and has permitted me to drastically cutmy budget.The catch, as it often is, is that teachers have to buy into it, andcannot INSIST on using older software. Our big push has been toward Internet-based software and that’s working quite well. Lots of happy campers here.

***

Also, we have discovered that for the X300 arrangement to continue working as fast as it does first thing in the AM, students on the host machine must re-stat the computer at the end of each class. (This also does wonders for regular machines too!) No problems with any Internet-based apps: Renaissance Place, MyAccess, Study Island, Nettrekker, United Streaming and lots of reference/research sites (see our website and the “Library” link).

***

We’ve deployed approx. 250 stations this year. Like them so far but are having some of the same software issues with ole’ Mavis Beacon and Kidpix. Other than that…they’re definitely cost effective. We’re expanding one campus and building another this year. I’m using N computing unless something very better comes along.

***

An NComputing Rep happened to call me when I was going through my email. He was following up on our systems. I’m pretty impressed with NComputing. I had streaming videos off of the host and each x300. The sound wasn’t perfect, but definitely okay for the money saved. He did say that they “are constantly finding fixes for software incompatibilities”. As far as Kid Pix goes, he said to try Tux Paint which was mentioned in an earlier email. He also said that for about $24 per host computer with Kid Pix, there is a software program that will make Kid Pix work on each x300 machine. Also, he said something about right-clicking on the Mavis Beacon software, going to properties and enabling a Windows 95 configuration. I have no idea what this means because I don’t have a computer with the software on it, just thought I’d forward that on to someone that might want to check it out.

***

I have been using N-Computing’s X-300’s for over a year now. They are great for our student classroom computers. It sure saves us money. It works great with web-based applications. I have found that with server based applications, it only works on the main computer and not the extensions. We are moving most of our student software applications to web-based anyway, so it works great for us.

***

Right now the two programs that don’t want to cooperate are Read 180 (video overlay issue) and Kid Pix (won’t allow two iterations of the program to run). However, we have since been steered toward Tux Paint as a replacement for Kid Pix and it looks like a great product (and free). So far this is the greatest product that I have seen in long time. It looks like a the ideal solution for classroom computer clusters or for labs that get hit an miss use. I think I still will go with single computer solutions for high use labs. The down side for a X300 lab is if the one computer goes down, you loose four stations.

***

I have used Ncomputing XTenda devices in two districts for over a year now and absolutely love them. I’ve used them in libraries, labs and in classrooms as student stations. We’ve had the students do the online TAKS testing, office, and other educational software. Once in a while we have to “configure” a work around, but I haven’t found one piece of software that I can’t use with them yet.

***

I have only used the X series which uses a PCI card inserted in a host station. The L series uses Ethernet connections. What I like about the X series is that I can support the many student stations in the classroom without having to increase port count on the wall or the data closet. You can have up to two PCI cards per host machine with three devices working off of each card. I know there are advantages to the L series though.

***

We tried the L-series. It works great unless you try to stream video to the device. Very choppy. After careful evaluation, we chose to stick with the X300 for now.

***

Our decision was budget based. We stuck with XTendas because we could realize some savings through economies of scale. We also wanted to keep our port counts reasonable. The XTendas work great with the exception of Kidspiration and KidPix. That’s another issue where the school bought the software before discussing it with Technology to see if it worked with the system. Oh well…live and learn right?

***

If you are experiencing problems using an X300 in a Windows XP environment, check out the post on the Ncomputing web site..

Here is the Microsoft explanation of the Security update.

***

Most elementary classes

( rest to be deployed next year using the x550 – this on allows 5 terminal rather than 3)

Most if not all of our programs are web based :

Used for :

Renaissance Learning

AutoSkills Math and Reading Academy

LEXIA

Research

And a variety of links that are used from elem teachers websites

HS- Science, and Math classes

All libraries

Access Labs are also extendas

Known issues:

Will not work with TimezAttack ( video driver problem )

Hart to get NetSupport to monitor terminals

Systems that I use them on:

Some Dell GX 620 2 gig ram ( 128 RAGE ATI VIDEO )

Dell GX 755 4 gig ram ( 256 RAGE ATI VIDEO)

No issues with these systems other than what was mentioned – including the PAseries On-Line Testing ( 3 and 8^th grade is all I have used it for – have not tried TELPAS ect. )

---

Subscribe to Around the Corner-MGuhlin.net