Fact is, some people are fully cognizant that not everyone has a "hoss" mount that can support 100 pounds and they have to be careful of the equipment mounted to the scope.
Can a thin client be a valid option? Definitely yes when one takes into consideration the weight restrictions of their equipment. But the simple fact is, not everyone wants to mount 2-4 pounds of weight onto their telescope if they can get by with 1-2 pounds.
Thin clients (and computers such as the Dell OptiPlex 7070) are great when tripod mounted (or off the scope mount itself), and they work very similar to the mini PC's (like an Intel NUC 11) that can be mounted directly on the telescope itself at 1/2 the weight use. Honestly... a 1 1/2 pound mini PC (Intel NUC 11 style) an be purchased for what most thin clients cost.... and are 1/2 the weight. It's kind of a no-brainer if you want all your equipment on the telescope itself.

If one has a massive mount that they don't have to worry about weight (say something with around 100 pounds) then that is different than someone that may have a 20-40 pound weight limit. You should not be getting upset that users bring forth that caveat because many new to the field may not be fully aware of how much importance on a rig weight is.

Read More...