The benefits of consistent, well managed applications must be weighed against having three potential points of failure. Transferring applications over the network, combined with data transfers, can increase network loading and reduce performance. In the Connected PC model, both applications and data can be stored locally reducing the dependency on network and server performance. This model is essential for mobile computing. Applications execute on the client.
File servers function as extensions to the PC's local file system.
By locating applications and data on the client, the dependency on network and server performance is minimized. The client functions autonomously except when data is required from the network. The Connected PC is also a fully integrated application environment. Users can take advantage of a 20-year development history that offers robust user interfaces and OS services for application integration, including the simplicity of cutting and pasting data between different applications with ease. Moreover, this model is essential for mobile computing and for dealing with limited bandwidth.