HP 441 comparison with Desktop Multiplier

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Desktop Multiplier HP 441 Basic Approach Software Product Hardware Product Maximum # of Users/System 10 4 Supported Platforms Redhat, SuSE, Novell, Mandrake, Sun Java Desktop, Fedora, and more... Mandrake Installation complexity Easy N/A Only available with hardware Software License Cost $99/Station N/A Only Available with HP hardware Free Trial Download Now Runs-In X-Windows (more resource efficient) Kernel (less efficient & less flexible) Efficiency of Memory & CPU Usage High / Optimal Moderate Hardware support Any x86 PC | Any Video Card* * Supports virtually all video cards (dual or single head) which are supported by Xfree86 or Xorg HP Pre-Built System Limited to single chip per head video cards Availability World-wide South Africa Purchasing Options Apply to become an Intenational Reseller Pre-Built 1-Box Systems RPMs CD-ROM ISO HP Pre-Built Systems in South Africa Product Maturity Available Since: 2002 Since June 2004 Complexity of Mapping Keyboards & Mice to Screens Easy Software Simply "Press F1" Hunt for the correct labeled port on back of computer

Summary

HP's 441 is a hardware appliance, whereas Desktop Multiplier is a software solution designed to support any hardware and any Linux distribution. HP's 441 is limited to just four users per one computer box, is currently only available in South Africa, and is only available with the one Linux distribution HP has chosen to support (Mandrake). In contrast, Userful's 1-Box™ Desktop Multiplier software, allows up to ten users per computer box and can be downloaded and built anywhere in the world using any leading Linux distribution.

Another key difference is ease of configuration: The 441 relies on labels (on the back of the computer) to indicate how USB ports (for keyboards and mice) are linked to video port. This approach makes setup difficult and confusing, particularly given that there are many cables converging on the back of the computer and it is difficult to see the labeling. Userful's configuration approach is entirely software based: users simply "Press F1" to link a keyboard and screen together.

Userful's architecture offers greater resource efficiency, flexibility, and security. Userful started out using a similar approach to HPs 3-years ago before abandoning it and re-engineering their 1-Box Desktop Multiplier technology to overcome the inherent limitations of an appliance & kernel based approach.

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All non-Userful products discussed on this page are trademarks of their respective owners.

Note: Some of the key differentiators of Userful's approach are protected under pending patents in the US and internationally.