Universal Remote Desktop Coming To Windows 10 Soon

jones_supa writes: For those using the Continuum feature of Windows and who work from home or in the office, you'll be pleased to know that the Remote Desktop Universal app is not only happening but will be released soon as a Technical Preview. This follows up on the Remote Desktop preview, which is already available for PC. The news came from Jason of the Microsoft Continuum team: "We've heard a lot of buzz around being able to connect to a remote desktop from Continuum for phone. We are excited to share that the Remote Desktop Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app will be released very soon in Technical Preview."

Comments

What is it?

[Anonymous Coward]

OK slashdot: you need to get a grip. You are losing readership rapidly. But some effort into it: in the summary, explain what the feature is, explain what Continuum. No, I don't want to visit 5 links to figure out what you are talking about. It should be in the summary. Do your job, or close up shop.

Re:What is it?

[geekmux]

OK slashdot: you need to get a grip. You are losing readership rapidly. But some effort into it: in the summary, explain what the feature is, explain what Continuum. No, I don't want to visit 5 links to figure out what you are talking about. It should be in the summary. Do your job, or close up shop.

Do your job?...Hmm, let's take a look at today:

Seattle Passes First Uber Drivers' Union Into Law

"Credible" Bomb Threat Closes, Evacuates All Los Angeles Public Schools

Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster Now Can Perform Marriages In New Zealand

I'd love to know what "job" you think they still have around here, since it's quite obvious the content has fuck-all to do with News for Nerds anymore.

Re:What is it?

[Anonymous Coward]

It's yet another attack vector into your Microsoft Windows system. Given Microsoft's record for producing professional quality software, I shudder to think of how many vulnerabilities there will be.

Re:What is it?

[armanox]

I think "Remote Desktop" is common knowledge among Slashdot's readership. And they've done articles on Continuum in the past. It's a tech news aggregator, not a newspaper for the general public. Technical terms are allowed.

Re:What is it?

[Zontar The Mindless]

Discussions of both Uber and FSM have been pretty common round here, and amongst nerds/techies in general, for quite a long time. The bomb threat story might be covered under "Stuff That Matters". I don't see the problem.

Re:What is it?

[MightyYar]

I use Windows every day, and very frequently use Remote Desktop - both to work from home and to work from the lab. I have no idea what Continuum is, and so I looked it up. It seems like it's just a fancy way of saying that your device can look like either a tablet or a desktop without changing the OS - but that is not exactly worthy of geek-slobber. Is this news item really "You can now remote desktop from your tablet!"? I'm... underwhelmed. Teamviewer, Chrome, etc. have been able to do this for a long time and they are free. They also work without abandoning Windows 7.

Re:What is it?

[Anonymous Coward]

Uh, I must have been living under a rock. I've never heard of "Continuum". A "widely talked about" feature of Windows 10 MOBILE? How many people are using Windows 10 MOBILE? 10?

Re:What is it?

[Grishnakh]

Then try SoylentNews.

Re:What is it?

[Anonymous Coward]

Continuum is a feature of Windows 10 Mobile (renamed mobile OS no longer following in line from Windows Phone 8.1). It allows your phone to be hooked up to monitors/TVs and controlled like a desktop, which includes hooking up (directly or via Bluetooth) a keyboard and mouse.

Windows 10 running on tablets already inherently support this kind of thing by switching out of tablet mode (or even semi-confusingly while in tablet mode), but it's a very different thing to allow apps from your phone to be scaled up to PC resolutions.

Android tried it a few years ago, but it was a very different beast. Continuum benefits from "Universal" apps, which can _literally_ be the same app running on a full PC, scaled via a different UI (and only the UI) to run on a phone. Some apps, like the Office suite go about this by having a "mobile" app that is scaled down feature wise to simplify it, but it still offers a full PC resolution option that is more usable rather than just with your finger(s).

This is pretty much the "killer feature" of Windows 10 Mobile; combined with the "Universal" apps, it's the only thing that may actually save Windows 10 Mobile by making it truly brain-dead simple to make a PC app that converts almost seamlessly in a mobile app with little-to-no code changes.

Re:What is it?

[MightyYar]

Ah, so it's a Windows Phone thing. No wonder no one knows what it is.

I'll hold on to my geek card for now.

Re:What is it?

[viperidaenz]

Continuum is a recently cancelled Canadian TV show.

Re:What is it?

[rtb61]

Come on give us a break, Windows 'Continence' (who could resist) is the biggest load of public relations waffle crap for 'er' user application choice switching between full screen and normal view. I smell the stench of overly broad patents in that 'overview' description of Windows 'Continence' on the article linked site. I went one bit deeper for this juicy bit in Windows 'Continence',"Secure boot Helps ensure the user is running verified, authorized code", no why does that make me feel deeply suspicious about M$'s plans. Things like "Encrypts the full volume", why is it when M$ does it, it brings to mind the idea of ransomware, seriously (stop paying rent, install stuff they don't like, all your contents belong to them?). If M$ does not come across as particularly trustworthy, they only have themselves to blame for many past actions and for Windows anal probe 10 and 'Continence'.

Re:What is it?

[Big Hairy Ian]

Ok if you're so clever what colour do you think we should paint it?

Re:What is it?

[Big Hairy Ian]

I think the headline should read "Microsoft reinvents wheel!"

Re:What is it?

[Rakarra]

I think that is why they took the "News for Nerds" out of the logo. They just want to be an article aggregator. God knows why. There are already 100s of those sites.

The articles have always been secondary. They're not the point of Slashdot, they're not why one would come to Slashdot. Sure, there are hundreds of other article aggregators, but I have yet to see one with as good of a discussion system than Slashdot has. Reddit sure as hell doesn't have a great discussion system, Soylent and other pretenders don't have the readership.

Slashdot is for discussions, not article reading or news-finding. Discussions.

I'm sticking with Teamviewer

[Anonymous Coward]

This brings nothing to the table that Teamviewer doesn't already offer - unless they start offering support for the Raspberry Pi.

What is "Remote Desktop Universal"

[avandesande]

I have RDP on my windows phone 8.. what is different about this "Remote Desktop Universal"? Even TFA doesn't explain.

Re:What is "Remote Desktop Universal"

[pr0t0]

I just read a forum talking about, and people are acting like they've never heard of RDP (or LogMeIn, or VNC or Hamachi from a decade ago). One guy stated something like, "imagine a photographer being able to edit the photos he just took by logging into his home PC and using Photoshop from his hotel room". I don't have to imagine that. I've done that...years upon years ago. I don't get it. I have a Microsoft-built RDP app on my Android phone. I have Chrome Remote Desktop too.

Re:What is "Remote Desktop Universal"

[Bugler412]

Remote desktop on the phone screen itself is a done deal. Continuum, the new feature in WIndows 10 Mobile that lets you attach the phone to a "real" screen and use it like a Windows 10 PC (for universal apps only), an updated or new universal app is needed that will run on the big screen when in Continuum. Existing WinPhone 8.1 apps can't do that and need to be updated to support use in Continuum on the big screen. I have one of the new Lumia's with the Continuum dock, it's a pretty slick feature, but mostly a demo right now since very few universal apps, especially from 3rd parties, have been updated to support use in Continuum and therefore can run only on the small phone screen.

Re:What is "Remote Desktop Universal"

[avandesande]

Thank you for the explanation- not something to trumpet though I would say that Continuum is DOA without it.

Re:What is "Remote Desktop Universal"

[The-Ixian]

I don't know what is different exactly.

However, I would assume that the new key features will leverage the Azure cloud. Like perhaps allowing you to remote to your computer no matter what network you are on in a "LogMeIn" type fashion without having to open up ports in your home router.

Re:What is "Remote Desktop Universal"

[Holi]

If you RDP into Windows 10 you get the Desktop UI. This would allow you to get the Tablet UI if your device is of the touchscreen variety.

Re:What is "Remote Desktop Universal"

[Gr8Apes]

Because... CLOUD!

Honestly, I don't know why everyone is in such a hurry to give all their stuff to cloud providers.

Re:What is "Remote Desktop Universal"

[zlives]

because you then get to pay them forever, thats a winwin

Re:What is "Remote Desktop Universal"

[zlives]

LOL
ummm why the fuck would you do that, your touch friendly tablet UI enabled device already has the tablet UI

Re:What is "Remote Desktop Universal"

[BradleyUffner]

LOL
ummm why the fuck would you do that, your touch friendly tablet UI enabled device already has the tablet UI

Because you want to use your DESKTOP from the tablet. Maybe you need a file that's on a physical drive attached to the Desktop. The tablet UI better matches the input device of that tablet and will make interacting with the file easier.

Re:What is "Remote Desktop Universal"

[Bugler412]

I likely won't use it much personally, but I definitely could see the feature having a role in presentations or demo's at a user/customer location without needing to carry a full laptop. Even remote work on call if tools (like remote desktop) were full available. It could also be handy when travelling, connected to a hotel TV as a screen for instance. All in the name of avoiding carrying a full laptop. But for me, since Win32/x86 apps can't run on the phone (yet, maybe Atom based "Surface Phone" one day?) , most of the tools for my work are unavailable, so Continuum for phone is mostly "geek curiosity" value for me.

Re:What is "Remote Desktop Universal"

[zlives]

RDP already allows you to do this, the "app" is for appers that app using the touch app interface.

Great. One more thing to turn off.

[Anonymous Coward]

Or one more reason not to upgrade.

Re:Troll you need to get a grip

[malditaenvidia]

It's pining for the fjords.

Re:Why don't you just leave then? Do us a favor!

[Zontar The Mindless]

Either this is APK, or someone really needs to find a different role model.

Re:Windows Phone - Windows From Phone

[pushing-robot]

How I understand it:

Windows 10 has a 'Desktop Mode' and a 'Tablet Mode'; in the latter the UI is more tuned for touches, gestures, and small displays.
App developers can likewise create separate desktop and tablet UIs.
On a desktop, Windows and apps will use their desktop UI, on a tablet, Windows and supporting apps use their tablet UI. On a convertible device like the Surface Book they can even change as the screen is docked and undocked.

This is Continuum.

Continuum didn't extend to RDP, though, so when you used a tablet to connect to your desktop, Windows would still render the desktop UI. This change will allow your desktop to switch to the tablet UI when you connect via a tablet or other touch device. Of course, it's still up to app developers to support it.

Re:Troll you need to get a grip

[FatdogHaiku]

Obligatory video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grbSQ6O6kbs

I can see a glimpse Microsoft's vision

[The-Ixian]

And I really like it.

I think it would be absolutely fantastic to unify all of the operating systems into one. The UI being the only thing to change between different sized screens.

A full computer in my pocket that I can use as is, or use it with 4 large monitors, keyboard and mouse, or anything in between. One computer to do everything.

I think this is what Microsoft is ultimately driving toward and I think it is pretty awesome if they can pull it off.

Re:I can see a glimpse Microsoft's vision

[Opportunist]

Poe's law applies fully to this comment.

Re:I can see a glimpse Microsoft's vision

[nateman1352]

Honestly the thing that would make continuum really worth while would be if Microsoft got rid of the phone OS entirely and ported the telephony stack to the full Windows 10 OS and just install full Windows 10 on everything, including phones. Then when you enter desktop mode when you dock for phone you will be able to run Win32 apps in addition to the universal apps. With that, you will truly have a real, full computer in your pocket.

Of course this does mean that Microsoft would have to limit their phone OS to X86 CPUs, otherwise the feature would not be worthwhile. Honestly... I don't think that is as big of a deal as it sounds. Intel's smartphone chips have changed a lot in the last 2 years. If you haven't taken a look at the Zenfone 2 yet, its a great phone. You don't notice anything different between it and other high end Android phones other than the fact that is has an Intel logo on the back and it has the same features as a $600 phone for $300. Since nobody builds phones with Windows installed anymore except Microsoft, restricting the phone OS to X86 only isn't going to affect some existing OEM customer base :)

Re:I can see a glimpse Microsoft's vision

[BitZtream]

No, moron, you utterly missed the fucking point.

Your shitty notebook from 10 years ago didn't fit in your pocket and function as a phone. And do you think you're impressive because you had a laptop 10 years ago? I had luggable's 20 years ago, does that make my dick bigger than yours? Probably not.

If I can pull my phone out and plug it in to a keyboard/mouse/monitor(s) and it function like my desktop that would be freaking awesome, because my phone fits in my pocket, is always with me, and I don't notice that I'm lugging it around.

But I don't want a desktop UI on my phone, that fucking sucks, I had that 15 years ago with WinCE.

I don't want a shitty tablet/phone UI on my desktop. I can do that now with Android, its shit.

But if I can pull my phone out, hook it up and run real desktop apps, I'll switch to Windows Mobile so fast the length of the day will change.

No, fanboys, Android can not do that because there isn't a single Android app that does anything useful for me from a desktop perspective. iOS can't do it because Apple flat out said they have no interest in doing it, which sucks because I prefer an iOS / OS X style of thing so I could have a real UNIX ... but if Microsoft does it, then Microsoft will have another customer because I care about computers doing what I want and being useful to me ... where as you seem to just be an ignorant fanboy.

There is no device on the market that does what the GP refers to, I know, I've been looking for one since iPhones got fast enough to do some real desktop (minor) work. There are some android based wanna-be's but they run neither OS X or Windows apps, so they are 100% useless to me since I need at least ONE of those for my job.

I want only a phone. And my phone is also my PC. I don't want to carry a shitty laptop around even if you think that makes you super cool.

Re:I can see a glimpse Microsoft's vision

[The-Ixian]

Yes, from what I have heard, it sounds like MS will be doing a Surface Phone at some point in the near future.

I think this implies the x86 CPU in a small device.

Re:I can see a glimpse Microsoft's vision

[spacepimp]

MS can't get sleep mode working on their own surface book, much less windows updates. The thought of full stack windows, services, and malware on a phone is hardly compelling. Digital convergence is nice if it works. I'd rather MS got their legacy shit working properly, and then built continuum. for now it is MS worrying about mobile and making their core OS worse, and increasingly locked into MS services. Luckily we get to watch them make the desktop worse in order to make the continuum feature available for the 1% of the world still excited about the shit they sell.

Re:I can see a glimpse Microsoft's vision

[Darinbob]

I suspect "universal" does not include OSX, Linux, iPhone, BSD, Android, etc.

Re:I can see a glimpse Microsoft's vision

[The-Ixian]

You expressed what I did not (except for the name calling). But this is why I am so excited about what the next few years hold.

THIS is how MS can win a significant percentage of the mobile market back. It is hedging it's bets by making its apps available on other platforms, but if they could succeed with an x86 Surface Phone that runs a full blown Windows 10 scalable UI, I think that will be so huge.

Add in the bridges for universal apps to run non-native code and you just sweeten the pot.

MS may not be your favorite company, I and I know I come off as a fanboy, but I have always been about using what works and try not to let ideology get in the way.

I really see some real potential with the direction MS is going. It will be very interesting to see where MS is 5 years from now.

Re:I can see a glimpse Microsoft's vision

[Rakarra]

There's just one thing, dude. Do you have to use so many cuss words?

NoMachine - free Remote Desktop for Everybody

[nickweller]

'Travel from your desktop to any NoMachine-enabled computer at the speed of light. NoMachine is the fastest remote desktop you have ever tried. In just a few clicks you can reach any computer in the world and start working on it as if it was right in front of you.'

Re:Windows Phone - Windows From Phone

[pushing-robot]

After reading more I don't think my initial interpretation was correct.

"Continuum" is the Windows 10 feature that switches UI based on device.
"Continuum for Phone" is a different feature that lets you connect a Windows 10 phones to a screen+keyboard+mouse and work in a desktop-like interface.

Unfortunately, many people say "Continuum" when they mean "Continuum for Phone" so it's a mess trying to decipher what's really going on:

1) The summary and some reports describe Continuum coming to to Remote Desktop, which would mean your UI will switch based on what device you're using.
2) Other reports talk about Remote Desktop coming to Continuum, which could mean MS is updating their phones' RDP app to run under the desktop-like "Continuum for Phone" interface.

The original release from Microsoft specifies "Continuum for Phone", so at this point I'm putting my money on the second interpretation. Sorry for adding to the confusion.

Re:Windows Phone - Windows From Phone

[PhrostyMcByte]

Continuum is the ability for you to plug a Windows Phone into a screen, keyboard, and mouse, and have a near-desktop experience. It relies on apps coded for the Universal Windows Platform, which is designed to let apps scale between phone, tablet, and desktop modes with a single binary. This announcement is that Microsoft has made an RDP client under UWP, so people will now be able to remote into work from their Continuum desktops.

Re: Wow

[chipschap]

This kind of reminds me about IBM announcing a source-level debugger for the (now ancient) AS400 platform, years and years after GDB and countless others, and then hailing it as a great innovation.

A remote desktop? Really? Woo-hoo, how original! What will Microsoft "discover" next? Has Slashdot become a Microsoft shill too?

Re:Windows Phone - Windows From Phone

[labnet]

So if a /. Geek can barely understand it; what hope has a mere mortal.
Microsoft has so screwed their whole whole unification Of desktop/tablet. At least Apple has had the sense of keeping iOS and desktop seperate do and are working slowly toward their unification (it may still never happen).

This could sell me on a lumia 950

[grimfate]

OK, so is this basically saying that if I have a Lumia 950 and the dock, I will soon be able to turn any screen that takes HDMI into my home computer, even when away from home? I mean, my experience with remove desktop in the past was quite laggy, but if this is correct, then I'm sold on a 950!

Huh?

[bobmajdakjr]

I am a Microsoft shop. I use Windows 10 on everything, I have the Surface Pro, I have the Windows Phone. Every day I RDP into my primary machine from work (while at work), from my phone (while bored at random places), and from the Surface (while at lunch). WTF is Continuum and WTF can I not already do that I am already doing?

Re:Huh?

[bobmajdakjr]

Unless this means I can RDP /INTO/ my phone, that would be pretty badass.

Re: Wow

[mikael]

We had remote desktops for Windows 3.1 waaayy back in the 1990's. I remember our helpdesk being able to connect to another users MSDOS PC on a different floor and being able to see the exact same screen and control the GUI as if it were their PC.

Editors have been upgraded

[ntropia]

I'm almost sure that editors of ./ have been replaced with a more effective, high-throughput fashion system which is able to handle large submission traffic with extreme efficiency.

Oh, and it scales very well too!

Re: Wow

[chipschap]

Their announcement is that they have remote desktop working via a mobile phone that can be connected to a TV/monitor in a pinch to work with it at full scale.

Oh, you mean like Teamviewer (and probably others). Still nothing new here except hype.

4k support

[ILongForDarkness]

At least as of win 8.1 there was a slightly less than 4k limit to RDP something like 3800X2000 is that still the case? I have a couple of 4k screens. Would be good if "extend to all monitors" would work past a fraction of one monitory ;)

Working remotly at least available on windows

[e70838]

When I was student (around 1992), I have worked remotely using vi and a text terminal (minitel) using 1200 bauds modem. I have also used export DISPLAY between locations separated by 500 km. It was far more usable than nowadays with ADSL. I think Microsoft has worked a lot to avoid that this kind of features arrives on Windows. I hope this will become mainstream quickly. But, damn! 25 years!

Re: Wow

[Dog-Cow]

No, not like Teamviewer.

Re:Windows Phone - Windows From Phone

[thegarbz]

Unfortunately, many people say "Continuum" when they mean "Continuum for Phone"

No unfortunately Microsoft's marketing department is still brain dead and they are repeating the mistakes of reusing a name for multiple things that do different things (Windows RT anyone?)