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A single-purpose machine with just enough hardware and software to support a particular function. It may give network users access to e-mail, printing, files on a storage device, CD-ROM drives, or the Internet. The advantages of a thin server are that it is less expensive than a full-purpose server and can be quickly added to a network. It will generally have an abbreviated operating system (such as Windows or UNIX), limited storage capacity, and necessary network protocols, such as TCP/IP and HTTP. According to a 1998 Dataquest study, the thin server market is expected to grow to $16 billion in 2000.
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