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Real-time PC access on your PDA
Brooks P. writes "As seen in this story on The Register, Sproqit Technologies creates software that allows you to access your desktop apps in real time over the Internet. No more synchronization. This is accomplished with a Desktop Agent that runs on your (Windows for now) PC, and a 200k Companion running on the PDA. The Desktop Agent uses plug-ins to connect to the apps running on the PC, and the SDK used to develop plug-ins is free. Oh, and the whole thing uses 128-bit SSL for security and works over any connection method: 802.11, modem, cell phone, etc."
And this is different from Citrix or Terminal Services or a remote X session or good ole SSH how?
"Times may change, but standards must remain the same." - George Carlin.
Taco is all like "oh crap! they found out that the last story was bogus! quick post another and distract them!"
seriously though, this sounds alot like vnc and the many other various remote desktop programs. In fact, i'm using vnc right now to post this...
-foxxz
This is totally and completely unnecessary for PDAs running Pocket PC connecting to Windows 2000 Server/Advanced Server, Windows XP Professional, and Windows Server 2003 systems. Microsoft has a version of their Terminal Services Client for Pocket PC, and here is some Microsoft-funded cheerleading about how easy it is and how well it works.
There's no need for any proprietary desktop server application to serve the data to you like the one mentioned in this Slashdot story. In fact, the Remote Desktop Protocol is superior in many ways to applications like VNC and this new geegaw because, as far as I know, it doesn't send everything as bitmaps -- it sends GDI commands and the like, so area fills and most window drawing is actually done at the client, saving incredible amounts of bandwidth in the process. It's actually decently usable over dialup, even though it obviously smokes over broadband. RDP 5.2 is the latest, complete with clipboard, audio, and drive letter redirection. (Yes, copy and paste files between machines and they're all sent encrypted over the same port connection.)
I'm typing this message on my home desktop PC even though I'm at my girlfriend's house at the moment (with a 1Mbit DSL connection), some 5km from home (with a 3Mbit DSL connection), and everything is pretty snappy. It's not quite as quick as sitting at the console, but it isn't much different. I'm quite impressed by just how well it's integrated into the host OS and how well it works.
Even better yet, you can connect to any PC using the RDP 5.2 client in the form of an ActiveX control from any web browser. I have such a beast on my own website, and it's come in really handy from time to time, such as when I'm trying to connect from my home PC from older Win95/98 machines that don't have the client software installed. Check it out here.
Okay, so what about PalmOS, you say? As far as I know, no RDP client exists for PalmOS. But this is Slashdot, people. Write one!
Okay, I'm done raving now. Thanks for listening.
There are Java, Linux, and Citrix/Terminal Server clients available for many hand held devices already (even the Nokia Communicator phone has Citrix available for it).
The tail end of the article mentions 18-24 month timeline for "bundled" products and a lot about the desire to license the tech. Sounds like a VC hunt to me.
Still, I hope they get it to work. The world needs competitors to Citrix/Term Server (could Citrix BE any more expensive???)
[RIAA] says its concern is artists. That's true, in just the sense that a cattle rancher is concerned about its cattle.
As referenced above, there's VNC clients (and servers) for a wide variety of platforms. Here's one for the Palm OS.
The Spoon
Updated 6/28/2011
"And this is different from Citrix or Terminal Services or a remote X session or good ole SSH how? "
You get an interface designed to use with your PDA, instead of trying to cram a 1280 by 1024 image on a 240 by 320 screen. RTFA.
"Derp de derp."
Did anyone who actually commented that this was 'just like VNC, et' actually look at the website?
/b
This is not a remote desktop solution in the traditional sense. Applications have to be Sproqit enabled and the conent is repurposed for the mobile device. It is not simply a view of your desktop PC.
In saying this they are pretty wrong when it comes to a couple of things.
1. Syncronisation: I can spend an hour a day underground (The Tube) with no network coverage and I bet it does not cahche all the data I might want to look at. You need syncronisation as our networks are a) not good enough and b) super expensive for consitently grabbing data from your PC. They would have been better to integrate their data transfer technology and perform a really good background sync (no sync company does this yet).
2. The Enterprise: They will not take this on as it means every users PC has to be on to take advantage of this. They need a server based solution that runs on back office equipment that takes away the need for indivdual PC's to be always on.
A couple of the concepts are nice but for your core PIM applications this is not the way to go.
[Please type your sig here.]