In case of
Fat Client pattern, although no network communication is required, the largest response time is consumed since all the functionalities with substantial complexity should be run on mobile device.
"When I looked at what it was costing to maintain 1,000
fat clients compared to thin clients, it was a no brainer," he explains.
Fat client applications by contrast, have software loaded on the server and on each desktop.
These are based on common, standardized definitions of centralized, thin client,
fat client, and decentralized processing, as well as offering options for network-based applications and data.
Geared toward enterprises in search of alternatives to
fat client groupware and desktop environments, TaskForce provides an easy-to-administer intranet/extranet solution that can be accessed by any Java-enabled client.
If a more robust user experience is needed (which, in this example, would be derived from using plugins and the like), the
fat client model can be used at the expense of universal compatibility.
This full-featured "
fat client" e-mail application for Palm OS handhelds and Treo 600 smartphones allows school staff and students to work with e-mail as if it was on their desktop.
There are two popular but distinct methods of developing .NET applications: thin client (browser-based) and
fat client (Smart Windows-based).
"Maybe more than any other industry, ERP vendors embraced the
fat client," says Paul Mockenhaupt, vice president of Microsoft Business Practices at Lawson Software.
Also, the
fat client approach may introduce a recurring support burden because technical staff is required to maintain the operating environment on all client machines.
Collectively, these devices represent a major threat to Microsoft's "
fat client" PC business--but only if most of these devices end up running one common programming language.
This means that, whereas previously remote access needed to be made from a
fat client, thin ones can now be used, enabling salespeople to consult the company's database, even though their laptops are loaded with only a small part of the files normally required to do so.