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Microsoft Invents Split Screen PC
An anonymous reader writes "New technology from Microsoft Research India in Bangalore could end the waiting game in offices with limited computers. Researchers are developing software that splits a computer screen in two halves, each side with its own operating system, desktop, applications, cursor and keyboard." Mom! Timmy is on my side of the screen again!
If you look at the article the whole idea seems rather silly due to extremely limited screen real estate. It would be much better to do this idea in conjunction with this Sharp TV/Monitor that was announced a while back: http://news.cnet.co.uk/monitors/0,39029684,3919085 1,00.htm
That way each user gets the full monitor but can be using the two operating systems completely separately. That way you get the same physical real estate being taken up and don't have to buy two completely different machines. Still, I don't think the idea in general is overly practical. Can you imagine sharing your cubicle with Bob the slob working right next to you all day every day?
"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield." - Tennyson
I have a feeling that this would be a new Slashdot Classic. Congratulations for being the first slashdotter to use it!. Now, who wants to start tagging with "dumbestfuckingidea" ?
I'm not impressed. It's simply virtualization with a halved screen and a dedicated keyboard and mouse for each half. If you run two VMWare instances with Windows inside you're pretty close to what they have "invented".
It's not a very efficient system either. Nowadays' machines can be pretty much summed up as follows:
- Input devices (mouse, keyboard etc). Nothing is saved here.
- Memory (RAM) - nothing is saved here. Running two OSs requires twice as much RAM.
- Storage (HD etc) - nothing is save here. Ok, maybe they share the installed software, but I doubt that.
- Processor - this system actually shares that.
- Monitor - this system shares that, too.
- Other output devices - nothing is gained.
So what this system achieves is some savings on CPU (by better usage) and Monitors (by giving only half a screen to each user).
I would *much* prefer to have a smaller screen instead of sharing a larger one - you can get two 17" screens for the price of a 19".
Given that setting up and maintaining such a system *is* going to be more complex than setting up a normal system, I doubt that the savings on the processors are going to be worth the hassle - not even if labour is cheap.
Researchers are developing software that splits a computer screen in two halves, each side with its own Vista CD-Key, desktop, Office 2007 license, cursor and keyboard. And don't even think about copying music from one side of the screen to the other, you pirate!
give them credit where credit is due. The same research facility came up with another similar technology where you can attach multiple (unlimited) mice to a single PC and all operate independently. This means that you can put many kids on a single computer, and they can all play and learn, basically for free, as all the costs you have for adding one more child to the PC, is adding one more (USB) mouse. Neat, isn't it.
Now this new technology seems to be targeted at education again, and if you can have each OS copy on a separate monitor (most cards today handle 2 monitors at least by standard), it's a really really good thing to have.
Microsoft Research really puts out cool things, and this just a little bit of what they've done to advance interfaces, OS design, security etc. Not all of this technology goes directly in the next version of Office/Windows, but may be licensed to third parties for implementation, or be used in specific cases, such as the multi-mouse / split-screen technology.
Wow, this like what my 1993 SparcStation 10 can do. You have a single CPU unit with multiple framebuffers, thus allowing for up to four sets of monitors, keyboards, and mice.
I envision this as the only practical use of this technology; The ability to share a single computer between four office cubes of call-center workers, each with their own monitor, keyboard, and mouse.
I can't believe anyone is taking this idea seriously. Hardware that can run basic office applications is very inexpensive, provided you run a modest operating system. If you can afford to equip one employee with a Windows XP or Vista machine, you can afford to equip at least two people running Linux and Open Office.
I can see the fnords!