"Todd Bishop, Robert McLaws and even I have been keeping a close eye on Windows SideShow, one of the last remaining features in Windows Vista yet to be thoroughly explored. Largely due to hardware constraints, not many people have seen SideShow devices let alone play with one. So apart from the infamous Channel 9 video, a few screenshots and concept art, we really don't know much about the experience. Or should I say, until today."
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Member since:
2005-07-13
Member since:2005-11-29
Member since:
2006-06-29
The SideShow simulator is cool, but I think I'll wait to see actual hardware implementations before believing that it'll truly be useful.
Plus, in the examples listed, wouldn't you have to leave your laptop turned on anyhow for stuff to work? You wouldn't get any new email while your laptop is in suspend mode. Nor would you be able to access your HD to play music files. I thought that being able to peek at your mail and play chess while your machine is in a sleep state was most of the point of SideShow.
Member since:
2006-12-13
This whole SideShow feature smacks of one of those things where you say "wow that seems nifty and cool", but in reality you only use it two or three times then forget about it. But I guess we shall see once some hardware comes out.
The screencast was amusing though, especially the use of Apple pictures, hehehe. Anyone else notice the Blue Steel theme? I hope that was an intentional Zoolander reference on the part of the MS programmers...
Member since:
2006-04-18
Member since:2006-09-26
This has already existed as atleast a semi-standard for years; both the old PIII Toshiba laptop I have downstairs and my aging P4-Alienware laptop up here have this ability.
A proper framework for these small screens though will become rather useful in the future, I suspect; they're cheap and getting cheaper these days. I have a VFD on my desktop that I find rather invaluable, even as it is only 16x2. Though it works like trash under windows.
