fat client

Definition

An application that performs most processing locally rather than relying on a server—the opposite of a thin client. Like someone who brings their own everything to a potluck instead of contributing to a shared meal.

Example Usage

We're moving away from the fat client architecture because it makes updates a nightmare—everyone's running different versions.

Origin

Emerged in the client-server computing era of the 1980s-90s as a contrast to mainframe terminals

Fun Fact

The fat client vs. thin client debate has repeated every decade with different terminology: desktop apps vs. web apps, then native apps vs. mobile web, now desktop apps vs. web apps again.

Source: Client-server architecture and distributed computing literature

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