WinFLP: Any corporate user groups out there ?

[BPoller]

Hi,

i started to work with WinFLP last week, as i have to decide, if our traveling sales men must get new laptops or we just could install WinFLP on them.

I now see some problems, as e.g. WinFLP seems not to support StandBy or Hibarnate.

Does anyone know a WinFLP specialized user group?

Thanks,

B.Poller

P.S.: If anybody knows, how to implement hibarnation into WinFLP, plz post the link or tip here !

[DeadDude]

Um... why are you considering WinFLP? What OS are the laptops currently running?

I did a little research... and WinFLP is not a general purpose OS.

Have you installed it onto one of the machines in question? Does it actually support what you *need* it to support?

Aside from not having certain features like hibernate or suspend, it also doesn't support a great deal of software (from what I have seen).

WinFLP is based on Windows XP Embedded. EMBEDDED. The OS actually doesn't expect to ever be changed; it is available in a ROM. More specifically, WinFLP is intended for remote desktop- NOT actually running software locally... although the specs claim it is intended to run business software, you cannot even install Office (no support for half the functions). I have no data on whether Open Office will install.

You need to make absolutely sure that your required software works FLAWLESSLY under WinFLP. That also includes PLUGGING IN YOUR DATA AQUISITION CABLES AND DONGLES and 'using' whatever exotic hardware you use with said cables. If your guys need laptops in the field, it should be safe to assume you do 'exotic' stuff generally.

Example:

Your guys use laptops to test out Air Conditioning equipment.

--Install WinFLP and everything you need. Drag the machine to your office A.C. Plug in everything. Load up software. Actually receive readings from the A.C. and test against another laptop with your original, confirmed working setup.

Exxample:

Laptops are used for creating decals. You create the decal on site, then plug laptop into big industrial decal printer thing.

--Install WinFLP and everything you need. Create a decal. Plug it in. Make big industrial decal printer thing print it.

It is imperative you understand how thoroughly you **need** to test the setup before you worry about getting hibernate to work on it.

If you do not fall under my fears above, then why are you considering WinFLP? If it is simply for support from Microsoft... it is your call.

[ToeCutter]

Hi,

i started to work with WinFLP last week, as i have to decide, if our traveling sales men must get new laptops or we just could install WinFLP on them.

I now see some problems, as e.g. WinFLP seems not to support StandBy or Hibarnate.

Does anyone know a WinFLP specialized user group?

Thanks,

B.Poller

P.S.: If anybody knows, how to implement hibarnation into WinFLP, plz post the link or tip here !

WinFLP works just fine on older notebooks. I've even installed it on a fewer of the low spec new notebooks we've purchased and I've had only a few isolated issues. These issues were due primarily to the Windows Installer that ships with WinFLP. A quick trip to Windows Update fixed it pronto.

Regarding you primary concern, Hibernation works just fine with all the notebooks we've installed WinFLP on. WinFLp goes into and comes out of Hibernation pretty quickly.

Are you anticipating issues or have you experienced any with WinFLP specifically? I'd like to know if anyone else has had issues. I have noticed that driver support for WinFLP is essential. I've come to realize how much we've relied upon MS-provided drivers for power-management with our notebooks. Installing the vendor-provided ACPI drivers has worked fine though, as WinFLP relies on the WinXP x86 code base. I've yet to experience any driver issues related specifically to WinFLP.

NOTE: WE install with both the "Driver Support" and "Local Mgmt" tools. All together, this represents a tiny 850MB install footprint.

WinFLP screams on older notebooks when compared to WinXP. I've been very surprised with how well it works. We'll be deploying VMware ESX with VDI shortly, and I intend to use WinFLP on the majority of the virtual desktops we deploy. It's memory footprint is very low and it seems to offer performance similar to what we see with WinXP. I've yet to have a user notice any difference. We'll deploy using VMware and RIS tools, so our desktop management will automated to pretty high degree.

Also, I've attached a JPG of one of our development VMs running WinFLP with Office 2007. Even with Word 2007 open and running, the memory consumption is ridiculously low.

[ToeCutter]

Um... why are you considering WinFLP? What OS are the laptops currently running?

I did a little research... and WinFLP is not a general purpose OS.

Have you installed it onto one of the machines in question? Does it actually support what you *need* it to support?

Aside from not having certain features like hibernate or suspend, it also doesn't support a great deal of software (from what I have seen).

WinFLP is based on Windows XP Embedded. EMBEDDED. The OS actually doesn't expect to ever be changed; it is available in a ROM. More specifically, WinFLP is intended for remote desktop- NOT actually running software locally... although the specs claim it is intended to run business software, you cannot even install Office (no support for half the functions). I have no data on whether Open Office will install.

You need to make absolutely sure that your required software works FLAWLESSLY under WinFLP. That also includes PLUGGING IN YOUR DATA AQUISITION CABLES AND DONGLES and 'using' whatever exotic hardware you use with said cables. If your guys need laptops in the field, it should be safe to assume you do 'exotic' stuff generally.

Example:

Your guys use laptops to test out Air Conditioning equipment.

--Install WinFLP and everything you need. Drag the machine to your office A.C. Plug in everything. Load up software. Actually receive readings from the A.C. and test against another laptop with your original, confirmed working setup.

Exxample:

Laptops are used for creating decals. You create the decal on site, then plug laptop into big industrial decal printer thing.

--Install WinFLP and everything you need. Create a decal. Plug it in. Make big industrial decal printer thing print it.

It is imperative you understand how thoroughly you **need** to test the setup before you worry about getting hibernate to work on it.

If you do not fall under my fears above, then why are you considering WinFLP? If it is simply for support from Microsoft... it is your call.

I regret the tone of my reply, but I'm not sure how you consider your post to be helpful to anyone, considering that it's riddled with inaccuracies.

Much of what you've posted here simply isn't true, and the rest appears to be pure speculation. Have you used WinFLP in a production environment?

I'm not sure why you're discouraging anyone from using WinFLP should it fit their needs.

[MrCobra]

Um... why are you considering WinFLP? What OS are the laptops currently running?

I did a little research... and WinFLP is not a general purpose OS.

Have you installed it onto one of the machines in question? Does it actually support what you *need* it to support?

Aside from not having certain features like hibernate or suspend, it also doesn't support a great deal of software (from what I have seen).

FLP can very much be used as a general purpose OS. I even have MSOffice installed and it's running fine. My SP3 & FLP installs mirror each other except for the fact that one is FLP and one is SP3, but everything works on the FLP box just like it does on my SP3 box. I've tested it extensively and there have been absolutely no issues whatsoever. Makes for a nice game box for my daughter.

Before anyone goes on a rant, YES...my copy is perfectly legal.

[Bleeder]

I will vouch for WinFLP's usefullness in a corporate environment. Even on newer PC's, it's wonderful, because the OS footprint is very small. This makes imaging, backups, full virus scans, etc, go much faster, because there are much less files installed. As others have said, it can really extend the usefullness/lifetime of older hardware.

I'm not really sure why MS doesn't open up WinFLP to other markets (home users, small business, etc). There is a large market for breathing life into old hardware, and MS is really losing in that space.

Edited May 10, 2008 by Bleeder

[ToeCutter]

I will vouch for WinFLP's usefullness in a corporate environment. Even on newer PC's, it's wonderful, because the OS footprint is very small. This makes imaging, backups, full virus scans, etc, go much faster, because there are much less files installed. As others have said, it can really extend the usefullness/lifetime of older hardware.

I'm not really sure why MS doesn't open up WinFLP to other markets (home users, small business, etc). There is a large market for breathing life into old hardware, and MS is really losing in that space.

I'm glad to see that others are having good experiences with WinFLP. It wasn't clear to me why DeadDude was railing so aggressively against it, WinFLP has solved quite a few problems for me. And, MS has been awfully generous with licenses.

To your question regarding why MS insists on keeping WinFLP corporate: While I'm usually one to avoid cynicism, I'm convinced that offering WinFLP to the consumer market would seriously bite into that Vista revenue they're raking in right now.

It's one thing limit the number of times a license may be used, but it's a completely different ball-of-wax when MS starts prescribing the type of hardware you can run their product on. This is bordering on ridiculous!

http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/10/microso...ome-boundaries/