Premise Remote Desktop

[chucklyons]

I'm not sure how many of you received this fine Microsoft upgrade notice...Windows 7 Home * will not let you remote login. If I understand this correctly, I'll have to upgrade two machines? SYS and my laptop?
I'm not sure if this affects you, but it sure affects me...with only two weeks to figure out how to get around this....

Dear Mesh customer,

Recently we released the latest version of SkyDrive, which you can use to:

• Choose the files and folders on your SkyDrive that sync on each computer.
  
• Access your SkyDrive using a brand new app for Android v2.3 or the updated apps for Windows Phone, iPhone, and iPad.
  
• Collaborate online with the new Office Web apps, including Excel forms, co-authoring in PowerPoint and embeddable Word documents.

Currently 40% of Mesh customers are actively using SkyDrive and based on the positive response and our increasing focus on improving personal cloud storage, it makes sense to merge SkyDrive and Mesh into a single product for anytime and anywhere access for files. As a result, we will retire Mesh on February 13, 2013. After this date, some Mesh functions, such as remote desktop and peer to peer sync, will no longer be available and any data on the Mesh cloud, called Mesh synced storage or SkyDrive synced storage, will be removed. The folders you synced with Mesh will stop syncing, and you will not be able to connect to your PCs remotely using Mesh. Can I use SkyDrive to connect to a PC remotely and run apps on it? No, with SkyDrive you can fetch files on a remote PC, but you can't connect to it remotely to work as if you were sitting in front of it. If you want to connect to a work PC, try Remote Desktop Connection in Windows. With Remote Desktop Connection, you can connect to PCs that are running these editions of Windows:

• Windows 8 Pro, Windows 8 Enterprise
  
• Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 7 Ultimate
  
• Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows Vista Enterprise
  
• Windows XP Professional

 

[etc6849]

Don't upgrade -that's just what they want!

If you look around online, someone posted a dll file and they explain the registry entires needed to get remote desktop working on a non-pro PC (e.g. home premium, etc...). There's also non-MS programs that do the same function for free.

 

[JonW]

The free version of LogMeIn will give you basic remote desktop functionality. You can even access it from your mobile devices.
https://secure.logmein.com/comparisonchart/comparisonFPP.aspx

 

[electron]

Highly recommend LogMeIn, assuming you weren't using RD for thin clients.

 

[dgage]

I also use and recommend Logmein Free.

David

 

[chucklyons]

Thanks for the tip - installed and works pretty good. Resolution is so-so, but faster than Mesh. I'm really disappointed w/ MS. I've never been a big MS-basher (as I think they have created millions of jobs), but this smacks. I bought the Nokia 920; Windows 7; even Windows Home Server when it was out. Very disappointed with the blatant 'we stop Remote Desktop 1 Feb, but you can buy an upgrade for cheap that ends 31 Jan'. So much for trying to merge onto one vendor...

Sad. Sad. Sad.

Logmein works great and says the rest...

 

[etc6849]

It didn't make you made when they removed storage pooling from WHS?
What about when they removed Windows Media Center from Windows 8?
Or how they purposely limit everything you can do under Windows RT?
What about how they quit selling full retail versions of their software and now limit you to either an OEM license (which on paper you cannot upgrade when a new windows version comes out) or to an upgrade?

It seems MS has taken a turn for the worse in recent years. I really liked Windows 7, Vista and XP. I guess I'll stick with Windows 7 and use Android for everything else!

 

[w84no1]

I just started using Chrome Remote Desktop and it looks promising. https://chrome.googl...henigjmpp?hl=en

I like the fact that when you open a new tab and select remote desktop you can see what machines are connected to the internet.

 

[tmbrown97]

Or how they purposely limit everything you can do under Windows RT?

They didn't "purposely limit" anything. Everything that runs on Windows RT needs to be actively ported over to run on it. As a business they will decide what makes most sense to port based on market pressures.

 

[etc6849]

MS chose to have all applications go through the Windows store. They also chose to block activex web content unless they approve it, and yes they block activex controls compiled for ARM (I know because I tried it myself). They even go so far as to block flash content unless the site is approved by MS! I'm seriously not kidding, I went on release week to buy a Surface, only to be hugely disappointed.

The activex issue may not matter as most do not use Premise, but I'm sure there are a lot of HA folks that have made their own flash site. Since they don't need to port anything to allow all flash content, I assume they are just doing this to force folks to download whatever app from their store so they can either push ads in your face or get money from the app (assuming you pay for it)? I'm not sure how this isn't on purpose, but you are free to your opinion.

Further, while in the past ARM based versions or Windows CE did not restrict the user at all, MS chose to restrict users with Windows RT. In fact, it is so bad that Mozilla filed an antitrust case over the issue because MS wants to block user choices altogether on what web browser is used. I'm sure Firefox would be happy to port their software if MS had a more open API (there is an API presumably, but only for MS to use). I have to believe they are preventing Firefox and other apps from being offered in their store on purpose.

Hopefully there is some hack by now to increase what a user can do with Surface, but folks should research this for themselves before buying. You are right, I'm not sure if any of this is done on purpose. However, I can only presume these restrictions were done to generate future revenue streams through app purchases and through targeted ads using the only web browser available on Windows RT.

It is true that MS is just doing what Apple was already doing. However, Apple was never open and MS Windows CE tablets were historically very open. Android is much more open out of the box and lets me install things from outside Google Play; I can even install Firefox if I want!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_RT#Restrictions_and_compatibility_limitations
Restrictions and compatibility limitations

Critics have also noted that Windows RT is relatively closed platform in comparison to Windows 8 and other consumer-oriented versions of Windows. While Microsoft's mandate that certified Windows 8 hardware must ship with a secure boot feature enabled by default was met with criticism (despite the fact that users must be allowed to disable the function as needed), the requirement that Windows RT devices have secure boot permanently enabled was further criticized for harming user choice by preventing the installation of alternative operating systems such asLinux, despite its consistence with other consumer electronics which use similar protection measures.[sup][8][/sup][sup][26][/sup][sup][27][/sup][sup][28][/sup][sup][29][/sup][sup][30][/sup]
The requirement to obtain most software on Windows RT through the Windows Store was also noted as being closer in nature to other "closed" mobile platforms such as iOS, where the App Store is the only official manner to obtain software, and only software approved by Apple can be distributed through the platform.[sup][31][/sup] Microsoft was also criticized by the developers of the Firefox web browser for effectively preventing the development of third-party web browsers for Windows RT (and thus forcing use of its own Internet Explorer browser) by restricting the development of desktop applications and by not providing the same APIs and exceptions available on Windows 8 to code web browsers that can run in the "Metro" shell.[sup][11][/sup][sup][13][/sup]

Here's a site that discusses the flash complaint too, although their other reasons not to buy the Surface sound lame:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57537730-75/top-10-biggest-drawbacks-of-windows-rt/

 

[chucklyons]

yeah, sorry - but I'm not on-board with the market pressures angle, either. Instead of moving forward wrt 'open', we're moving further and further away from it. Apple and now Microsoft.
I own MS stock; I buy MS as a move towards a consistent integrated system (phone, PC, tablet, electric shaver and whatever else...). I have to say, I may have to change my thoughts.

And as far as market, need I only remind folks of - WinMe; Vista; Windows Home Server; and on and on. Crappy decisions are crappy decisions.

However, as long as I am able to run Premise, I can tolerate it....

 

[tmbrown97]

Gotta love free enterprise. They're free to make whatever products they want, and it's up to you to choose whether or not to buy them.

 

[samgreco]

I think that I understand the Windows RT thing and don't blame them for it. Apple's big edge has always been the bullet proof reputation of the iPad, etc. That's why their stuff is so tightly controlled. Microsoft has always had the negative image of being easily hacked and being virus prone. The way to remedy that is to control it as much as Apple does theirs. That gives you RT. You may not like it, but I believe that's why it's locked down so tight. But they are releasing Windows Pro tablets that are completely open and fully Windows. So it seems to be the best of both worlds.

Maybe Charlie Kindel will pop in with an opinion since he was pretty close to all of this

 

[etc6849]

I can understand the store, but they still could give an advanced feature that let's users install their own apps.

For me the worst part about it was the restrictions on what websites work and do not work, including my own website! Especially when there's no mention of this restriction any where in all of their ads. After reading the Surface product page, I was very excited. I drove over an hour and a half on release week to buy one, only to find the ugly truth: they want to pick which websites I can use! This is far beyond any restriction on what apps can be installed or ported.

It is true that M$ can do sell whatever products they want under a free market. If they want to alienate millions of their loyal customers with nonsense like limiting what websites can install web content (activex, flash, etc...) they sure can. However, I suspect this strategy is not inline with their customer base so we'll see how it works for them.