Raspberry Pi for Citrix

[mr2mike]

Can you run a Raspberry Pi for the following activities?
Citrix remote desktop (most critical reason)
Web search and browsing
Access the saved files on a previous Mac osx file system. Removing the ssd and attaching to Pi.

Debating getting a Pi5 to do this or going el cheap Surface with windows installed if the above can't happen.

[pheoxs]

You can get a little beelink mini PC for ~$200, I'd just go that route.

[Xtrema]

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You can get a little beelink mini PC for ~$200, I'd just go that route.

Heard their QA sux and highly unreliable. Stable units are very YMMV.

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Can you run a Raspberry Pi for the following activities?
Citrix remote desktop (most critical reason)
Web search and browsing
Access the saved files on a previous Mac osx file system. Removing the ssd and attaching to Pi.

Debating getting a Pi5 to do this or going el cheap Surface with windows installed if the above can't happen.

Unless OS security is paramount, grabbing an old Galaxy S phone with Dex can archive all of this as well. S20 should drop below $200 at this point and you get Android and way more potent SoC than Pi.

[The_Penguin]

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Can you run a Raspberry Pi for the following activities?
Citrix remote desktop (most critical reason)
Web search and browsing

I've done Citrix client on a Pi3, worked fairly well.
Web should be fine.

[mr2mike]

Nice, good to know.
Also not heard of DeX I'm looking at that option too.

Does everything need to be a Samsung app or can one install other software?

Also does NordVPN's Meshnet work if this DeX setup is your main router or base? It seems meshnet needs a non phone to be used as the base.

Sorry, changing the goal posts a bit.
Got great answers so far.

[firebane]

Dex is basically a way to attach an Android phone to a monitor. So apps can be anything from the Play Store.

[ExtraSlow]

Wouldn't one of those surplus tiny pc thingies be cheaper than raspberry pies? And have better hardware? And already be windows?

Or am I missing the point?

[Xtrema]

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Nice, good to know.
Also not heard of DeX I'm looking at that option too.

Does everything need to be a Samsung app or can one install other software?

Also does NordVPN's Meshnet work if this DeX setup is your main router or base? It seems meshnet needs a non phone to be used as the base.

Sorry, changing the goal posts a bit.
Got great answers so far.

It basically Android as desktop OS with app from Play Store. Some app may work better than others but Citrix is good. And given Galaxy S line always have top end SoC of that year and top end Android SoC didn't really move goal post that much last 3-4 years, it may provide you some interesting solution if you already daily on a Galaxy S. All you need is a USB C dock with HDMI out.

Pi and supporting accessories has gone upmarket lately. ES is right that as long as the refurb low end PC comes with a legit version of Windows 11, it's probably the cheapest way to go.

[LilDrunkenSmurf]

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Wouldn't one of those surplus tiny pc thingies be cheaper than raspberry pies? And have better hardware? And already be windows?

Or am I missing the point?

I run a bunch of these in my homelab as kubernetes nodes. Albeit, newer ones. I'm always on the lookout for refurb/used microPCs like this.