Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Let Your Monitor Be Your Remote Computer

From: [email-masked]
Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2003 13:18:35 -0400

Let Your Monitor Be Your Remote Computer
 Contributed by mmasnick on Fri, Aug 29 2003

For a while I've been saying that I wasn't particularly impressed with the idea of
the tablet computer. I think that it was positioned incorrectly as a separate
category of computers, when it really just describes a laptop with additional
functionality (a touch screen) and often with some tradeoffs. As such, it seemed
like it might be a nice feature sometimes, but nothing too innovative. However, I
do think that this new "thin client" solution from Philips is much more creative.
It's basically a special flat screen monitor for your computer that can be pulled
out of its docking station and will act as a wireless thin client that remotely
accesses your computer via WiFi. This seems like an ideal mix of the concepts.
It's not limited to just being a thin client - it's a fully computer with a nice
touch screen flat panel. However, when you just need a thin client, you pull out
the screen and take it with you and you have full access to your computer (it has
a wireless keyboard as well, if needed). Seems like it could be especially useful
for entertainment purposes. Want to watch a DVD? Pop the DVD into your computer's
DVD player, and then take the screen wherever you want to go within your home WiFi
network. You could use it as a type of remote control for your MP3 jukebox as
well. There are plenty of ways I could see this being useful. As it stands right
now, it sounds like they still have a few kinks to work out - but, on the whole,
it's one of the few creative ideas I've seen in computing in a while that makes
sense to me.

www.techdirt.com
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Comfort computing doesn't hit the spot yet
29.08.2003
By PETER GRIFFIN

A few years back, before the advent of the tablet PC, software maker Microsoft
dreamed up plans for a device dubbed Mira, a stripped-down PC built within a
lightweight LCD screen panel that would give you all the functionality of your PC
away from the PC.

It was to be a kind of "thin client" for the home user.

A Wi-fi 802.11b chip built into the device would talk back to a wireless base
station connected to the PC, giving you a remote view of your computer desktop and
allowing you to stream multimedia files at up to 11Mbps (megabits per second).
It sounded like a good idea at the time and it still is. But the first wave of
Mira-type devices are facing tough competition from laptops and the tablet PC.

The DesXcape from Philips represents that Mira vision: a 15in, lightweight,
silvery flat-panel LCD screen with built-in Wi-Fi, a touch-sensitive screen that
can be scribbled on with a stylus or your fingernail if you want. The DesXcape
comes with a wireless keyboard for easy typing.

The idea is that you replace your bulky, cathode-ray computer monitor with this
sleek device, using it as your main screen and lifting it off its cradle should
you want to cruise the web in bed or anywhere else within about 35-50m of the
wireless base station.

The flexibility it provides is great. Instead of firing up the PC to obtain some
information or stream audio files from the MP3 collection, you just tap the
DesXcape's screen.

Obviously there is some delay as you navigate your way through the computer's file
system; that's part and parcel of Wi-Fi. But the delay is sufferable for the
comfort of breaking that rigid physical relationship with the PC.
Regular applications such as Word and Outlook Express run smoothly. I skipped
through a hundred pages of the freely available Jules Verne e-book 20,000 Leagues
under the Sea in Microsoft Reader with ease. The DesXcape presents clear type and
is the perfect vehicle for e-books.

Audio streaming is by and large flawless; the wi-fi connection manages to transfer
the songs with minimum stuttering.
Video is another story. The real value I see in DesXcape-esque devices is the
ability to stream video from a central location. Pop a DVD in the drive of your
computer, wander into the lounge with the DesXcape and enjoy 15in of DVD-quality
video in comfort.

In reality, video proves too much for DesXcape's wireless capability. The result
is a series of slow-motion freeze frames overlaid with a stop-start soundtrack.
Those investing in this first-generation equipment can't expect a full multimedia
experience. Beautifully designed - a trait of Philips' success in consumer
electronics - DesXcape makes the process of setting up the wireless network
surprisingly simple.

Its cradle is a weighty little device that will tie up two USB ports on your
computer, a situation that may prove troublesome for those with limited USB ports.
on their machines. The device feeds off the internet access link sitting behind
your computer.
I tried surfing the web with DesXcape sitting in my garden using dial-up and DSL
internet links. The latter's speed obviously gave a much better surfing
experience.

It's a useful tool for those into comfort computing, but you get the feeling that
DesXcape isn't quite there yet. With the falling price of laptops and tablet PCs,
many of which are lightweight and have built-in wi-fi and DVD drives, the DesXcape
looks like a seriously under-powered offering.

Then there's the fact that no one can use the computer while DesXcape is in use.
It's a one-user, one-client environment. Nevertheless, devices such as DesXcape
point to the way to how we will access digital content in the future.

Philips DesXcape

$3500

Pros: Impressive design, easy set-up.

Cons: Expensive relative to laptops, ties up main computer, unable to stream
video.

Rating: 6/10

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