VMWare View is widely recognized as one of the best applications for accessing a virtual computer. After testing and using View, I became a believer. That is why I began to focus my energy on creating a simple, elegant, and universal way to access my own virtual desktop using the View client. I found the solution, and it fits onto a USB stick.                                                                     

Having access to a virtual desktop from a USB-based or “Live” operating system has many positive implications:

• The threat of virus infections on the native system being used to access the virtual machine becomes virtually a non-issue.
• Having the native client operating system encapsulated on a USB stick gives end users a simple and effective way to access their virtual desktops from almost any hardware machine.
• The USB stick runs on an open source, Linux based operating system so there is no need to buy or own Windows licenses for the hardware machines that are being used to connect to the remote virtual desktops. 
• The USB based operating system requirements are so low that they will run extremely well on some of the oldest hardware that is to be found in contemporary offices, giving new life to what would otherwise be considered e-waste.

When I was in college, taking computer science courses and looking for ways to make money while on break, I came up with a plan. I started calling all of the businesses in town and asking them if they wanted someone to recycle their old computer junk.  Most of the people I talked to told me that they would be happy to see it go.  So I took all this old “junk” back to my college garage, took it all apart, and made new computers from the parts, which I would then sell or give to friends. I felt great about it, learned more than any class could ever teach about computers, and kept most of that old equipment out of landfills. My attitude towards computers has always been that buying new hardware should be the last step in trying to solve a problem. The best part is that what I was doing back then was creating something useful out of what could otherwise be deemed trash. When I created the bootable USB thin client, I had the same set of goals in mind, namely to be able to recycle old computers, using them effectively in a contemporary environment and to save money by not needing to purchase new equipment.

Basically, the USB Stick Thin Client is a thumb drive that has been pre-programmed to connect to your virtual desktop. It works by plugging it into your existing computer and booting off of it, rather than your native hard drive. This means that the USB Thin Client will work on an old computer that has viruses, a non-existent operating system, and it even works with computers that have no hard drive at all.  What we have essentially done is found a way to use any computer in the same way we would one of the new “Thin Clients”, except that we’re using whatever existing hardware already exists coupled with an inexpensive thumb drive.

The USB stick will work on old hardware and there is no requirement to buy a license to use it. So even if you have old PCs that used to run Windows 98, now you can repurpose them to use this bootable operating system and not need to buy a new license in order to do so.

With the introduction and adoption of cloud-based computing, it’s important to think outside of the box for all aspects of computing -- not just the new computers, but the old ones, too. The best part about the Bootable USB Stick Thin Client is that it will keep existing older computers on the floor and thriving, bringing new life to them for possibly years to come as a simple gateway used to access a virtual desktop.