
Microsoft Launches Remote Desktop App for Android and iOS - hackhackhack
http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2013/10/17/microsoft-launches-remote-desktop-app-android-ios/
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WhitneyLand
A lot of people say this is no big deal because other solutions are available.

However a big value add that Microsoft has is really amazing performance with
their remote desktop systems, compared to most other competitors.

Even when other companies use the same RDP protocol the performance is usually
not as good, and things like VNC and TeamViewer have much lower refresh rates.

Other solutions have some unique features that are useful, but for pure
performance it doesn't get much better than this.

~~~
georgemcbay
Agreed (and upvoted).

I have yet to use any other remote desktop system that feels nearly as
responsive as Microsoft's own RDP implementation, and I've used many. The
others I've used are workable (especially over very fast links), but with
every interaction there is just enough lag to continually remind you that
you're running over a network connection, whereas Microsoft's RDP feels pretty
much like running locally as long as you avoid gaming or high-frame-rate
video.

I haven't tried their Android client yet, but I'm hoping it works nearly as
well as their desktop implementation does.

~~~
rjbond3rd
Hmm, just curious, have you used rdesktop,
[http://www.rdesktop.org/](http://www.rdesktop.org/)? It's been incredibly
fast for me.

~~~
sandGorgon
I think the state of the art right now is Remmina, which allows you to connect
to Windows 7 + systems. I dont know if rdesktop now allows you to do that, but
(a year ago) earlier it didnt.

~~~
icebraining
How so? I've used rdesktop to connect to a (patched) Windows 7 system more
than two years ago.

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pudquick
I'm finding it really interesting that no one has mentioned that it looks like
MS bought a company or their product for this solution:

[http://itap-mobile.com/itap-rdp](http://itap-mobile.com/itap-rdp)

 _" Important Update

Effective October 8th 2013, iTAP mobile RDP apps for iOS, Mac OS X and Android
platforms are discontinued.

We will continue to support the customers who have installed this app up to
this date but the app will no longer be available at the application stores
and no further updates will be released.

We recommend you evaluate the new Microsoft Remote Desktop app available in
app stores later this month.

Thank you for using iTAP mobile RDP.

Regards, iTap mobile team"_

Anyone that used the iTap version may find some very similar interface design
and an amazingly identical feature set (iTap was the only iOS and Android RDP
client with RemoteFX support for instance - something this new MS client
heavily touts).

I haven't seen official statement to this effect, it's just the timing,
design, and feature set (like MS suddenly having an iOS, Android, and new OS X
client) seem way too coincidental.

Edit: The new OS X app doesn't appear to share the code base of the old one,
as the new one exports/imports actual PC .rdp configuration files whereas the
original MS RDP client for OS X also makes ".rdp" files - but they're not in a
format compatible with Windows Remote Desktop client or vice versa.

Edit: Microsoft confirms it bought the new code base from iTap:

[http://www.macworld.com/article/2053689/microsoft-taps-
itap-...](http://www.macworld.com/article/2053689/microsoft-taps-itap-as-
basis-for-remote-desktop-apps.html)

------
maaaats
But is it available for Windows Phone?

~~~
RyanZAG
Surprisingly enough, it is not. Looks like even Microsoft is now making apps
for iOS and Android before making them for Windows Phone...

~~~
bratsche
Maybe they have groups making the apps separately and they're just releasing
them as they're finished.

~~~
jbigelow76
There has to be some kind of coordination as they did the same thing with
recent updates to Skype. iOS and Android first then Windows Phone OS a month
or so later.

Seems like bad messaging from Microsoft about the Windows Phone platform, an
official RDP client isn't a make or break type app, there is no (apparent)
compelling business reason not to hold back on iOS and Android so that the WP
version could be released simultaneously. If Microsoft won't hold app releases
until the WP version is ready to along with iOS and Android how can they
expect anyone else to either?

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hsitz
This seems like a non-starter to me:

"You can connect to computers running Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7
Ultimate, or Windows 7 Enterprise."

"You can't use Remote Desktop Connection to connect to computers running
Windows 7 Starter, Windows 7 Home Basic, or Windows 7 Home Premium."
[http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/remote-
desktop-c...](http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/remote-desktop-
connection-frequently-asked-questions)

Aren't the vast majority of Windows licenses out there ones that you can't
connect to as a host in RDP?

~~~
alayne
It was always that way. Remote Desktop is probably used most by people
connecting to work computers over VPN.

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rcarmo
Hmm. If only it supported SSH tunnelling out of the box. Seriously, RDP is not
exactly "safe", and SSH gateways are common in mixed shops. I use Jump Desktop
because of that alone.

~~~
noblethrasher
Setting up an inbound VPN connection is pretty trivial on Windows XP/7
Professional.

~~~
rcarmo
I'm not using Windows as a server - I'm using xrdp on Linux to access remote X
sessions, since it's MUCH faster than any alternative (nomachine, vnc, etc.)

~~~
icebraining
A VPN is pretty trivial on Linux too, running OpenVPN is just a matter of
installing it, writing a simple config file (5-6 lines) and running the
command.

I've set up a VPN connections between my Nexus and a VPS in less than 30m (I
use OpenVPN for Android instead of the official client since the latter
doesn't seem to support pre-shared keys).

~~~
vetinari
OpenVPN on the other hand, keeps open connection for the entire duration of
the session. It is pretty reliable way to kill your battery.

I'm using Strongswan client, it is IPSec just like the built in client, but
more capable, including cert based authentication and MOBIKE.

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CamperBob2
Is there still no way to use RDP without shutting down the host's monitor and
local UI? I still run VNC just to avoid that.

~~~
Osiris
RDP opens a remote session, it's not the same as sharing. It actual creates a
new user session and redirects the video output.

I use TeamViewer personal edition to be able to access my computers from
either at home or away. It's free and really convenient. Yesterday I was in
San Diego and my mother-in-law couldn't figure out how to get a movie going
for the kids. I used TeamViewer on my Android phone, logged into the HTPC, and
got the movie playing in XBMC.

~~~
andrewaylett
Not always -- my main use of RDP is to remotely access the primary session on
my workstation. Microsoft also provides "Windows Remote Assistance" which is a
mechanism for generating a code that you send to someone else, allowing them
to connect to and view (and optionally control) your primary session while
you're still using it.

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blinkingled
Pretty slick and usable for first version. A few more tweaks like ability to
pan the desktop so you could actually click the close button on maximized
windows would make it the perfect RDP client on Mobile. (I used PocketCloud
for some time but the recent versions are not updated for some time and thus
buggy at least with Android 4.3.)

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tc98103
Now if Microsoft would just update their RDC client for OS X...

~~~
sibartlett
They have! It's available on the Mac App Store:
[https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/microsoft-remote-
desktop/id7...](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/microsoft-remote-
desktop/id715768417?mt=12)

~~~
protomyth
I do like the "set the resolution" feature that was absent in the old one.

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jeffdubin
Microsoft, you're more than a little late to the game. It'll have to really
blow away Jump Desktop for me to bother using your app. Jump has a lot of very
nice features, especially the one where it'll open an SSH tunnel for the RDC
session to go through without me needing to launch another client first. It's
perfect for setting up behind a router running DD-WRT or other variant, so the
Remote Desktop port on my Windows box isn't exposed to the rest of the world.

~~~
vijucat
Jump Desktop + ConnectBot for the ssh tunnel works well for me. I use it to
bring up the desktop on my TV via an Android "mini PC"; vi on a TV is an
interesting experience :-) Also great for reading pdfs.

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netcraft
works pretty well on my ipad mini connecting to windows 7. much more
responsive than I expected.

~~~
elboru
is it an iPad native app?

~~~
joseph_cooney
It's in TFA. You should probably read it before asking.

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jimmcslim
I'd like to see them produce an official Chrome RDP app.

Would make me feel better about getting my wife a Chromebook if she could
occasionally access Internet Explorer (dodgy training website requiring IE
ONLY) over RDP to a VM running on a home server.

~~~
belandrew
Chrome has its own Remote Desktop which allows it to connect to a Chrome
server on another machine. It currently supports Windows and Mac as the remote
desktop. Chromebooks are supported as one of the clients.

[https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/chrome-remote-
desk...](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/chrome-remote-
desktop/gbchcmhmhahfdphkhkmpfmihenigjmpp?hl=en)

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peatmoss
Side note: I really wish Apple similarly supported remote desktop in "Back to
My Mac" on the iPad. I think would spend a whole lot more time doing work on
my iPad with keyboard rather than lugging my 2 year old MBP around.

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StavrosK
I clicked through in a hurry to download it, as I am sure it will be a high-
quality RDP client implementation, but then I remembered I have no PCs running
Windows any more (and neither does my immediate family).

