Let Your Monitor Be Your Remote Computer
from the different... dept
For a while I’ve been saying that I wasn’t particularly impressed with the idea of the tablet computer. I think that it was positioned incorrectly as a separate category of computers, when it really just describes a laptop with additional functionality (a touch screen) and often with some tradeoffs. As such, it seemed like it might be a nice feature sometimes, but nothing too innovative. However, I do think that this new “thin client” solution from Philips is much more creative. It’s basically a special flat screen monitor for your computer that can be pulled out of its docking station and will act as a wireless thin client that remotely accesses your computer via WiFi. This seems like an ideal mix of the concepts. It’s not limited to just being a thin client – it’s a fully computer with a nice touch screen flat panel. However, when you just need a thin client, you pull out the screen and take it with you and you have full access to your computer (it has a wireless keyboard as well, if needed). Seems like it could be especially useful for entertainment purposes. Want to watch a DVD? Pop the DVD into your computer’s DVD player, and then take the screen wherever you want to go within your home WiFi network. You could use it as a type of remote control for your MP3 jukebox as well. There are plenty of ways I could see this being useful. As it stands right now, it sounds like they still have a few kinks to work out – but, on the whole, it’s one of the few creative ideas I’ve seen in computing in a while that makes sense to me.
Comments on “Let Your Monitor Be Your Remote Computer”
Interesting but Windows only
There have been a few products like this within the last year (the one I specifically remember was from Viewsonic). Unfortunately all of them require Windows XP to be running on the host PC.
I wish somebody would come out with one of these devices that just translated mouse and keyboard/handwriting on the monitor to whatever OS its hooked up to on the desktop. OR if Microsoft would build something into Win CE for Smart Displays that would allow one to remotely control through other desktop sharing apps like VNC. Then XP with Remote Desktop sharing wouldn’t be required on the other end. But of course MS wouldn’t do that cause they really just want to get you using XP.
Note, I use Win2000K all the time but I have no reason to move to XP. I’ll checkout Win2003 when the time is right but no need for XP here.
Not only that....
Windows won’t let the “base station” be accessed by another user while the tablet it active.
That won’t bother you single folks, but for families, it sucks.
Note: MS had discussed changing this, but I’m not sure if it has changed. The same limitation is in standard XP: if someone is connecting through remote desktop, no one else can use the host computer at the same time.