Smart client vs Thin client

Smart client: the best of both worlds

The design of PROLIN Smart Client 7 began with an in-depth review, by the PROLIN team of software, ITSM and ITIL engineers, of leading edge approaches to developing the presentation layer of client applications. Their goals – develop a vastly improved user interface for current HP Service Desk clients and design an optimal architecture for future development and advancements of the PROLIN product line.

The PROLIN engineers evaluated the benefits of thin clients versus smart clients. They carefully considered the overall needs of the application and compared these to the capabilities of each approach. Ultimately, the benefits of smart client approach was implemented into PROLIN Smart Client 7.

Thin Clients

“Many thin client technologies pertain to the server side and there are many Web server platforms and frameworks (ASP, ASP.NET, JSP, and others) to choose from. Each has particular features that try to make it easier to write thin client applications, but they all deliver the user interface, to a browser on the client, through a series of HTML pages. A thin client application is pretty easily defined as one that uses a browser to provide the execution environment for the application's (HTML defined) user interface.”

Rich Clients

Rich client applications have evolved into smart client applications. Rich clients offered many advantages over thin client applications including improved performance, responsiveness and flexibility, and the ability to work offline, but rich clients suffered from a number of operational problems when it came to deploying and updating them in a robust way. Thin client solutions of course excel in the deployment and update area and this is one of the main reasons for their popularity.

Smart Clients –– Thin and Rich – the Best of Both Worlds

“Smart client applications are not as easy to define as thin client applications because they can take many different forms and are not limited to the one-size-fits-all approach of thin client applications. The essential difference between a smart client and a thin client is that a smart client does not rely on a browser to provide the execution, security and user interface environment for its operation. Also, smart clients, rather than HTML and Jscript, typically involve compiled code artifacts (components, assemblies, etc.) running on the client machine to provide the application's user interface and clientside logic.”

Smart client applications represent a best-of-both-worlds approach by taking the manageability advantages of thin client applications and combining them with the benefits of rich client applications. Smart clients are rich clients done right, leveraging new technology and techniques to avoid the pitfalls of the traditional rich client applications.