Microsoft Unveils Latest Mira Prototypes

[Jason Dunn]

<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,101582,tk,dn060302X,00.asp">http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,101582,tk,dn060302X,00.asp</a><br /><br />I find the concept of Mira fascinating, but like all things, the implementation will either kick ass or it won't - with such a UI-intensive device, it's critical for Microsoft to get it right out of the gate. Interesting article.<br /><br />"A wireless LAN link between the Mira monitor and the desktop PC keeps the connection alive; the processor in the monitor does the display processing, with all the application software running on the processor on the desktop PC. This means the full power of the desktop machine is available around the home and users also have access to their files and data stored on the machine. Mira requires the remote desktop technology that ships in Windows XP Professional edition, and will not work with the Windows XP Home edition."

[thadrool]

This sounds great. I never really looked into what Mira was until now. It's got me thinking though. With the introduction of Mira, what will the Pocket PC's place be in all of this? It seems like there will be a proliferation of devices such as Tablet PCs and Mira-based units that have larger screens and are capable of full web browsing.

[Will T Smith]

The Mira concept will not work without client side processing. This requires a .NET or Java type approach for ubiquitous applications.

The latencies involved in wireless networks are a real killer.

[fishd1]

Well, I think Microsoft have been watching too many Star Trek episodes...

I think geeks like the readership here (no offense intended) would love to have this kind of technology but most people don't want or need it. I think personally that Microsoft should be concentrating it's efforts on web-enabling their Xbox or producing Homestation, I reckon that they will sell in big numbers to geeks and non-geeks alike...

[Rob Alexander]

Stupid, stupid, stupid. Let's just assume they got everything worked out so there were no delays at all. (And that's not there yet. I still get noticeable latency on a 100mbps LAN connection.) And then look at their market... home users. Then look at what it runs on... their business OS. Smart guys, real smart. Here's a product that is going to be a slow starter, and maybe not catch on at all, and all they can think about is squeezing out a few extra bucks for those upgrades. It's not like they couldn't simply have an installable version of Terminal Server than could come with the product and be installed on XP Home.

[Perry Reed]

And then look at their market... home users. Then look at what it runs on... their business OS. Smart guys, real smart.

My thoughts exactly. Why require XP Pro when you're marketing it to home users???

You'd think one of the geniuses at MS would notice such an obvious incongruity.

[jdhill]

And then look at their market... home users. Then look at what it runs on... their business OS. Smart guys, real smart.

My thoughts exactly. Why require XP Pro when you're marketing it to home users???

You'd think one of the geniuses at MS would notice such an obvious incongruity.
"Microsoft Shoots Self In Foot (Again)"

I know that most of Microsoft's employees are fairly bright guys and gals, but what could they have been thinking here??? Mira's a Home product. It should work with the Home OS, not the Work OS.

But then all of you geeks out there should have already installed Windows XP Professional at home anyway so that you could use the Remote Desktop software to remote in from your wireless laptop to your wired desktop anyway (at least I know that's what I did).

Yo, BillG, got a spare Mira beta unit lying around that you need a tester for??? :lol: