Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Okla., started off its VMware deployment with 300 desktops in student computer labs using non-persistent 7 images on Dell FX 100 zero clients with a back end of Dell servers and EqualLogic storage, says Ron Lee, senior systems engineer at the school.

About 30 or so staffers use persistent desktops as their primary work platform, he says. Another 40 or so access persistent VDI images from university-owned iPads as secondary computers. One faculty member tried to use VDI with the to reach her Windows 7 desktop but found it impractical without a mouse and keyboard and with the small screen. But she found it worked well for accessing data on the go.

He says it's important to fit the endpoint hardware to its use in order to get top performance. The school is looking at Wyse (bought by Dell) P25 zero clients because they support PC-over-IP protocol and are loaded with more RAM for client-side caching to improve application responsiveness.

He steers clear of Z50D thin client appliances because the thin client represented another layer that requires management.

Ultimately the school plans to go to 1,200 virtual desktops over the next three years - but not for everybody. Beyond computer labs, students probably won't get virtual desktops. But they can use the VMware View client on their own devices such as iPads to access generic virtual desktops from off campus. Depending on the version of View, they get the client either from a connection at the university or at or stores for free, he says.