I'm working on an interactive installation for a museum and I need to decide between thin clients and mini PCs for the hardware. The requirements are pretty specific: I want devices that can run Windows, handle an Electron app with light 2D animations and a standard web UI, connect to a single 4k touchscreen, and one needs to run a web server for the other devices to connect to. I won't be using remote desktop features or a central server, and while cost is a consideration, it seems the basic options for both aren't too different. I've never used thin clients before, but they look promising on paper.
5 Answers
I’d definitely lean towards mini PCs. Electron apps and even some basic websites can require a surprising amount of RAM and CPU power. Mini PCs generally provide the processing capability you need since thin clients often end up being underpowered for local tasks like yours.
For what you need, I’d stick with mini PCs. Thin clients are really meant for RDP setups, and most of them struggle with anything beyond the basics. If simplicity and reliability are what you’re after, mini PCs will serve your installation much better.
Hands down, mini PCs are the better choice here. Thin clients are designed for remote desktops and rely on a server for performance. Since you're doing everything locally, including running a web server and your Electron app, you'd want the flexibility and power of a full PC, which mini PCs offer, and they're quite budget-friendly.
Totally mini PCs! Thin clients just don’t cut it for standalone applications. If you don’t have a central server and need computing power locally, mini PCs are the way to go, and they typically have fewer management issues once set up.
I completely agree with going for mini PCs over thin clients. The latter generally have limited graphical abilities, which could cause issues with animations. We switched to mini PCs recently and have noticed a significant improvement in performance, especially with tasks like web browsing and handling multimedia.

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