How does Rich Client architecture compare to the Thin Client model?
There is much talk and much movement toward the Thin Client model. Thin Client is a browser-based approach that expects all the processing and heavy lifting to be done by Internet servers at corporate locations remote from users. For this to be practical, the Thin Client approach must rely on rapid improvements to browsers and Web servers, and new programming languages and methods. Right now, vendors like Microsoft, Netscape, Sun, and IBM are in tremendous competition to develop generations of products that are not necessarily compatible. The new tools may come, but it will be years before programmers and end users can depend upon them to be reliable or simple to use. The Base One (Rich Client) Internet Server, which requires only stable Windows technology, is available now.
