Microsoft to bring new Remote Desktop apps to iOS, OS X

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in General Discussion edited June 2014
Microsoft will soon make it easier for iOS and OS X device owners to interface remotely with Windows Servers and Windows machines, as the software giant has announced that a new Microsoft Remote Desktop app will see release later this month.



The announcement was understated, taking up just one sentence in the course of a larger Microsoft press release on enterprise cloud solutions. Still, Thincomputing noted that it is "a pretty big deal," as it signals Redmond's seriousness about the bring-your-own-device trend.

The release states that Microsoft Remote Desktop will see release on iOS, OS X, Android, Windows, and Windows RT. The software giant will push the app to the necessary app stores later in October.

Reportedly, the apps will be feature rich and quite advanced. The iOS Remote Desktop app will reportedly support both iOS 6 and iOS 7, and the Android version is said to support versions of Android all the way back to 2.2 Gingerbread.

The OS X version will reportedly give all of the functionality that a user would expect from a desktop app, with "seamless windows" interaction and "application portals."

The Remote Desktop app is the latest in a trend that has seen Microsoft going against tradition in adapting to the post-PC computing landscape. While its Windows platform has struggled to gain market share in the mobile segment, Android and iOS have taken that segment over, and Microsoft has been under considerable pressure to port its Office productivity suite to those platforms.

Outgoing Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer revealed on Tuesday that a touch-optimized version of Office is in the works for Apple's iPad, but such a version will not appear on Apple's platform until it has seen release on Microsoft's own mobile offerings.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 28
    johnnashjohnnash Posts: 129member
    So this would be just an RDP application or more of a citrix type experience?

    Actually the ability to run outlook on my iPad appeals to me.
  • Reply 2 of 28
    chandra69chandra69 Posts: 638member

    I wish Apple ends up making Mac Remote Desktop/tablet access for Windows.

  • Reply 3 of 28
    jsheffiejsheffie Posts: 24member

    I hope this includes Terminal Services Gateway Services support...

  • Reply 4 of 28
    thewbthewb Posts: 79member
    I hope they've finally figured out the basics of saving connection settings to a file in the OS X version. What they have now in 2.1.1 is a confusing mess.
  • Reply 5 of 28
    morphiremorphire Posts: 3member
    Mac already supports a remote control methodology for Windows machines. Turn on screen sharing in the sharing system preference and the machine turns into a VNC server. Load up any VNC client on the windows side and point it to your mac and you're done.

    I've had great success with CoRD on the Mac for rdp into Windows machines for a long while now. Haven't used MS RDC since I found it.
  • Reply 6 of 28
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,404member
    Yawn.
  • Reply 7 of 28
    pazuzupazuzu Posts: 1,728member
    anantksundaram wrote: »
    Yawn.

    Good - now sleep thru the rest of the day.


    This is a great thing for all of us business professionals that rely on windows everyday and would like access. It's a win win.
  • Reply 8 of 28
    zabazaba Posts: 226member
    morphire wrote: »
    Mac already supports a remote control methodology for Windows machines. Turn on screen sharing in the sharing system preference and the machine turns into a VNC server. Load up any VNC client on the windows side and point it to your mac and you're done.
    Thanks installed Vnc for chrome on windows sh8 laptop now can see and control my mac. Works fab. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!
  • Reply 9 of 28
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    johnnash wrote: »
    So this would be just an RDP application or more of a citrix type experience?

    RDP. Although the protocol was actually designed by Citrix, and MS bought it. Though strangely the Wikipedia page doesn't mention this but this is what I learned when taking MSCE course.
  • Reply 10 of 28
    christopher126christopher126 Posts: 4,366member

    I, personally, don't want any MS products on my iMac or iOS devices. Or in my house, for that matter.

  • Reply 11 of 28
    radster360radster360 Posts: 546member
    There are plenty of Apps for iOS that provides this functionality including VNC App that allows you to RDP. So no new news here.
  • Reply 12 of 28
    aeleggaelegg Posts: 99member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by christopher126 View Post

     

    I, personally, don't want any MS products on my iMac or iOS devices. Or in my house, for that matter.


     

    I felt the same way, and even vowed that no "MS horse-**** would ever run in my house again". 

     

    We've been 100% Mac since '05 or '06.  iBook G4 started it.



    But one needs to log into work from home, which is super useful on school snow days etc, so RDC.  I don't know the version # off the top of my head, but it works well.  Of course there's an error-message to be ignored every single time I use it (it wouldn't be MS without those), but overall it's fine.

     

    It actually gets out of the way and just delivers the remote screen like it should, after VPN-connection.

     

    So when I see a "ton of new features", I just roll my eyes.

  • Reply 13 of 28
    jimdreamworxjimdreamworx Posts: 1,095member

    Will multiple sessions be allowed, as in CoRD?

    Otherwise, sticking with CoRD.

  • Reply 14 of 28
    jpellinojpellino Posts: 697member
    Apple would make a lot of people very happy if ARD could accommodate iOS. This is the #1 request at each semi-anannual Education Tech Update. They keep pointing everyone towards MDM solutions and 3rd party things (Casper, etc.). The folks at JAMF are great - and the solutions are solid, but it would be nice to have it inside the tent so to speak.
  • Reply 15 of 28
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member

    MS have offered a Remote Desktop client for Mac for ages. I find it easier to use than the many open source solutions. I wonder if this is a rewrite or not?

  • Reply 16 of 28
    suddenly newtonsuddenly newton Posts: 13,819member
    It makes sense that Microsoft would prioritize their own competing hardware platform, but it's almost as if they forgot (or are no longer) a software company. The Microsoft of the 1990s was riding high on the success of Windows 95, and pundits were widely telling Apple that separating their OS and hardware business was the right thing to do. Even Bill Gates said Apple should do that, so it became common, self-apparent wisdom that Apple should pursue licensing Mac OS and transform itself into a "SOFTWARE COMPANY". Because Microsoft showed the way.

    If Microsoft's "SOFTWARE WAY" was indeed the right way to profitability, then they would be interested in selling as many copies of Office on as many platforms as possible: Android, iOS, Windows.
  • Reply 17 of 28
    sockrolidsockrolid Posts: 2,789member

    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post

    The Remote Desktop app is the latest in a trend that has seen Microsoft going against tradition in adapting to the post-PC computing landscape.

     

    Ballmer would never have approved of this if he were still alive.

  • Reply 18 of 28
    cpsrocpsro Posts: 3,198member

    I want to hear the monkey's uncle say it.

  • Reply 19 of 28
    macky the mackymacky the macky Posts: 4,801member
    When I first started reading this story I suspected that Microsoft may not have done this voluntarily, then I read:

    "While its Windows platform has struggled to gain market share in the mobile segment, Android and iOS have taken that segment over, and Microsoft has been under considerable pressure to port its Office productivity suite to those platforms."

    And that confirmed it. Enterprise pushed MS to do this against their will... Microsoft is no longer dictating to enterprise, it's the other way around now...
  • Reply 20 of 28
    nikon133nikon133 Posts: 2,600member
    macky the macky wrote: »
    When I first started reading this story I suspected that Microsoft may not have done this voluntarily, then I read:

    "While its Windows platform has struggled to gain market share in the mobile segment, Android and iOS have taken that segment over, and Microsoft has been under considerable pressure to port its Office productivity suite to those platforms."

    And that confirmed it. Enterprise pushed MS to do this against their will... Microsoft is no longer dictating to enterprise, it's the other way around now...

    It was always the other way around. All the legacy stuff you have in Windows is because Enterprise demands it, not because MS really wants to keep it forever.

    But that is why MS is Enterprise.
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