A California school district put its 2,000 machines on the stuff, saying its hardware costs were cut 75% and its software costs by 95%.

Novell claims to be the only enterprise Linux that can easily configure and manage desktop images.

Apparently the thin client configuration is something SUSE users came up with and Novell is formalizing the adaptation and will be contributing the toolkit. The SUSE Linux Enterprise Thin Client will be available sometime later this year.

Novell is targeting call centers, plant floor workstations and other fixed function and transactional settings. IDC says the biggest obstacle is skills.

Images can be deployed on re-purposed PCs, new PCs or real thin clients like Wyse's.

• Dell Builds its First Thin Client