RSSMicrosoft Testing Screen Sharing Tool
By the Betanews Staff | Published May 16, 2007, 5:12 PM
Microsoft is beta testing a new tool called SharedView that enables colleagues to share documents or demonstrate an application over a network or the Internet. Up to 15 people can join a SharedView session, although only one application can be shared at a time - not a full desktop.
WebEx and other services don't need to be scared just yet, however, as the service does not offer true collaboration - individuals must request control from the person who initiated the session. Users can still participate without control as each has a special pointer that can be used to highlight and discuss areas of the screen. SharedView requires Internet Explorer and a Windows Live ID.
What about the ads? Seems like its a way to serve up ads for the Live business
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|it's okay, however, the speed is slow
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|Well after reading into it a bit more, and testing it out, I have to say it's rather nifty. I like it - it's beats remote desktop sharing, doesn't expose me to fully sharing the desktop (though I know some VNC variations can select a specific window), and like the description states, gives everyone else a pointer to poke around with.
It is a simple idea, but makes a very nice collaboration tool.
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|So that's why Vista doesn't have NetMeeting...
'Due to customer demand, we are replacing a free application with a limited functionality commercial version.'
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|I could easily name a dozen or so products from other manufacturers that started out free and with new versions became commercial.
The point being, this isn't anything new, MS isn't the only one doing it, and it isn't a bad thing.
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|This function already exists (and has for some time) in Windows Live Messenger (aka MSN Messenger)
Application sharing, Remote desktop sharing (remote assistance)
The only difference I see with SharedView is that it supports multiple users
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|Doesn't this create potential copyright infringement concerns? :)
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|How about you qualify your statement with something a little more specific?
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|Ok. Given that it was actually sarcasm: What if I share a movie I'm watching, or an eBook I'm reading, with others over a WAN?
http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html#wci
** "To display the work publicly, in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and pictorial, graphic, or sculptural works, including the individual images of a motion picture or other audiovisual work; and "
** "In the case of sound recordings*, to perform the work publicly by means of a digital audio transmission."
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|Probably does create concerns, but I doubt MS could be made accountable. Same was projectors can be used to infringe on copyright, but it's not the fault of the people making them, just the person using them.
Then again.. we have seem some crazy lawsuits.
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|Crazy lawsuits? In the U.S.? Never. :)
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|The key word here is collaboration. This isn't just another remote desktop or remote assistance app, it's a collaboration tool.
I've tried the beta release, it's still extremely buggy. It does integrate in with Windows Live Messenger. You can invite people from messenger, or invite your messenger contacts from inside of SharedView.
Aside from just screen sharing it also has a feature called Handouts, where you can select files on your system, and have them distributed to all the participants in the session.
Each participant in the session has their own cursor, which shows up whenever moved. Only 1 person can have control of the screen at once, but the participants viewing can move their cursor around and click on things which makes a big highlight circle.
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|Yes, it is a lot like VNC.
The article is incorrect though - you CAN share the whole desktop too if you want. (you can with the latest version and even the beta when it was still called Tahiti did this).
Tested it behind two NATs - worked well.
So far I'm pretty impressed.
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|Does it work via an invite type system? I've tried things like Remote Assistance, and without some kind of port forwarding on the router, it really didn't want to work for me. Just wondering if with this they've implemented some kind of NAT helper in between.
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|Remote Assitance on WinXP wasnt designed to work for NAT
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|Sounds a little like VNC, and also the feature they used to have in Windows Messenger which allows application sharing.
I hope it works well through NAT etc, though.
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|Hopefully more people will begin using IPV6 so we won't have to worry about NAT.
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