Microsoft betas RDC for Mac 2.0

Stephen Withers
Thursday, 02 August 2007 06:12

Business IT - Technology

A beta release of Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac 2.0 gives users a preview of what's ahead for the remote access tool.

RDC for Mac allows Mac OS X users to operate a Windows-based computer across a network.

RDC 2.0 is a Universal Binary for optimum performance on Intel and PowerPC-based Macs.

Highlights of the new version include support for Remote Desktop Protocol 6.0 (giving improved compatibility with Vista as well as better security), simultaneous connections to multiple Windows PCs, and support for screen resizing during a session (including switching between a window and full-screen mode).

An entry in the Microsoft Mac Business Unit blog says "Our new UI isn't hugely obvious when you first look at the application — the UI has always been quite minimal, and we've retained that in RDC v2. RDC v1 uses a disclosure triangle to show you the connection options. In RDC v2, to be a better Mac citizen, we've moved these options to a standard Preferences menu. This should improve the discoverability of many of the features that we've always had built in, such as being able to view your Mac's hard drive when you're connected to your Windows computer."

Another significant improvement is that printing is no longer limited to PostScript printers - version 2.0 can use any printer that has been set up on the Mac.

Shortcomings of the beta include the absence of help, no support for Vista's Network Level Authentication, and problems with VPNs and wireless networks.

The software requires Mac OS X 10.4.9 or later, and the beta expires on March 31, 2008.