Ah, the Raspberry Pi 3. So much love. So much power ... So turn it into a Windows thin client

Using the Raspberry Pi 3 as a Windows thin client is not a new idea, but NComputing has wrapped it all up in a nice package for its target markets of schools and verticals.

The NComputing RX300 is a $99 piece of kit that uses the Pi 3 board in two modes: running native Raspbian Linux, or as a Windows VDI thin-client. And unlike other thin Pi offerings, the RX300 can support dual monitors.

The vSpace Pro software that pipes Microsoft's OS onto the RX300's display supports Windows 7, 8, and 10; Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, 2012, 2012 R2 U1, and 2016; and Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 and 2012. The paid-for vCAST add-on for vSpace Pro can perform HD-quality video streaming to the display from the remote Windows system.

vSpace Pro, which NComputing makes free for anyone to download and use, piggybacks on Windows' built-in Remote Desktop Services: the working environment is hosted on a remote server, and thin client logs in and renders the desktop on the connected display. This RDP approach avoids having to mess around with setting up virtual machines and hypervisors.

NComputing is the company founded by eMachines founder Young Song. In the late Noughties, Song took a back seat, but returned to the helm in 2015. ®