Work to plough the $35 Raspberry Pi board into a thin client for Windows and Linux virtual desktops appears to be paying off.

Desktop virtualization specialist Citrix has been working with the Raspberry Pi Foundation to allow the Raspberry Pi 2 Model B to run various operating systems equally a virtual desktop.

Post-obit software tweaks, Citrix has demonstrated the Pi 2 running a Windows ten virtual desktop with a 1600 x 1200 resolution at just over 19 frames per second, a chip low for shine video merely acceptable for everyday employ.

Using the Pi ii every bit a Citrix virtual desktop has been made possible by work to become the Citrix Linux Receiver virtual desktop client running on Raspbian on the Pi 2, as well as optimizations to Citrix XenDesktop/XenApp 7.6 FP3 and the HDX Thinwire compatibility codec.

"This helps enable a full, supported Linux Receiver on a $35 device," says Allen Furmanski of Citrix in a blog postal service.

At $35 the Pi ii is lower cost than many competing thin client devices, with Citrix'southward Furmanski describing the Pi ii running a Linux virtual desktop and OpenOffice as a "seriously inexpensive yet capable VDI solution".

One thing to behave in heed, however, is that firms will probable take to purchase their ain 5V power supply, example, Wi-Fi dongle (if the Pi's 100Mbps Ethernet connectivity is non an pick) and SD menu for each board, also as factoring in the cost of the keyboard, mouse and monitor, which is a consideration for whatever thin client machine.

Optimizing the virtual desktop to run on the Pi ii will as well require some command line tweaks.

Some other option for businesses looking to employ the Pi two for virtual desktops is the ThinLinx Operating System. The offering cost $fifteen per device and has been demoed streaming a Windows 7 desktop at 1080p on the Pi 2 at a frame rate polish enough to watch a HD video.

Although Windows 10 is bachelor for the Raspberry Pi it isn't the total desktop version of the Microsoft Os, only rather a cutting-down version chosen Windows IoT Core aimed at back up Internet of Things appliances.

The Raspberry Pi Foundation continues to diversify across its core goal of getting kids to lawmaking, recently offering firms willing to buy more iii,000 Pi boards the power to customise the Pi'south layout.

About one million Pi boards are used in industrial, embedded or consumer devices each year and Raspberry Pi co-creator Eben Upton told TechRepublic offering bespoke boards could encourage businesses to purchase the Pi in even larger quantities.

Since the launch of the Raspberry Pi in Feb 2012 a diversity of new boards have been released, virtually recently the $v Raspberry Pi Cipher.

More than on the Raspberry Pi

  • Want a custom-built Raspberry Pi? Firms get to bake their own
  • Windows 10 on the Raspberry Pi: What y'all need to know
  • Five more operating systems for the Raspberry Pi two
  • Raspberry Pi 2 easily-on: Is the souped-up board gear up to have on the PC?
  • Photos: A closer look at the Raspberry Pi 2
  • Raspberry Pi ii launch: Six times faster with Windows x and Ubuntu support