The most frequent question IT managers ask Citrix regarding Thin Clients is: “Which devices do you recommend with XenDesktop and XenApp?”  Citrix established the Citrix Ready framework to answer this question.  Citrix Ready is a verification program for partners to demonstrate interoperability between their products and Citrix products. The Thin Client category of Citrix Ready allows partners the option to test their devices to achieve basic Citrix Ready status or the more stringent HDX Ready status. These options are designed to address market needs based on end user segments and user experience requirements.

What is an HDX Ready Thin Client?
The HDX Ready designation is reserved for thin client devices that have been verified to work with all of the XenDesktop and XenApp HDX features.  HDX refers to High Definition User eXperience – a term coined by Citrix to describe capabilities in XenDesktop that optimize the user experience when accessing hosted virtual desktops and applications. The HDX Ready category assists IT managers to easily identify thin client devices that deliver the best possible high definition user experience with XenDesktop and XenApp.  

What is a Citrix Ready Thin Client?
There is a trade-off between a thin client’s cost and its capabilities. Not all users require the functionality of all of HDX features of XenDesktop or XenApp.  Devices that are not deemed HDX Ready may still be useful for certain user types and use cases, generally at a lower price point than HDX Ready devices.  The Citrix Ready thin client designation exists for those devices that support connectivity to XenDesktop or XenApp but only a subset of HDX functionality.  Information regarding HDX feature coverage by a particular thin client device is available on the Citrix Ready website.

Feature	Citrix Ready Thin Clients	HDX Ready Thin Clients
HDX Broadcast
Out of the Box XenDesktop Integration
HDX Plug-n-Play:USB 2.0
HDX Plug-n-Play:Printing
HDX Plug-n-Play:True Multi Monitor Support
HDX Plug-n-Play:Smartcard Support
HDX Plug-n-Play:Webcam Support
HDX RealTime:VOIP on LAN
HDX RealTime:Client Audio Recording
HDX MediaStream:CD Quality Audio on LAN (Server Rendered)
HDX MediaStream:Adaptive Display (Server Rendered): Minimum 15 Frames Per Second on LAN
HDX MediaStream: 1280*720 Quality Windows Media Redirection (Client Rendered) on LAN
HDX MediaStream: 1280*720 Quality Flash Redirection (Client Rendered; for Windows x86, Ubuntu x86, and Fedora x86) on LAN

For comprehensive HDX Ready requirements, please see the HDX Ready Thin Client test kit.