Windows Vista Sideshow

Every time I hear a guy from Microsoft say "It's a native API" I cry a little inside. I get that maybe people might want to use this stuff from Native code, but yeh... this is a Vista-only API! Are we ever going to see a really big managed push from Microsoft, or is every new technology going to come as COM first, then slowly get rolled into some System. namespace in the second version?

It's too bad this technology isn't out on the market today.

22:50

LOL!!!

I'm not yet sure if I would spend additional money on a Sideshow enabled Laptop. It seems that most of the functionality is also available on a Smartphone, so the advantage of not having to boot up the laptop is not so compelling anymore.

I read somewhere that they will be creating a .NET wrapper to expose the API's to us .NET developers.

mawcc and littleguru, there's no reason why you couldn't get a Smartphone that also runs Sideshow when available. I haven't watched this interview yet, but MS has mentioned elsewhere that they are also  targeting phones and other mobile devices to run Sideshow. IIRC, they mention this in this interview at 10.
http://on10.net/Blogs/TheShow/2890/

I hope this catches on. I think the real value is going to be in applications that we maybe haven't thought of yet; not in Smartphones and laptop covers. We need to think past just checking email.

I haven't watched the video yet (I'm downloading it now) so maybe they mention it in there but a really cool example I heard of was a sideshow enabled remote control for Media Center. You could do a bunch of things on there like TV listings or actor info. Sure it's a little unneccessary but it sounds cool to me!

Edit: Ok, I watched the video and the remotes are in there... :O

one advantage is banal. It do not need "sync" with laptop.

Honestly... Would anyone, be dumb enough to use this stuff?

This is a little off topic, but Robert was asking about the range of the bluetooth devices during the video.  I did some research work with bluetooth a couple of years ago, and in our testing we were able to get a range of 200 meters (over 600 feet) in the open, and over 30 meters (about 100 feet) through several fairly solid walls.  There's no reason why bluetooth couldn't work at the sort of range you were asking about, however it would depend on the specific device and how it was built.

something more to break on a laptop...

Isn't this what smart phones are for?

Ok, I keep seeing people refering to this as what Smartphones are for, and not fully grasping some of the use I have seen and foresee outside of just what is presented in this demonstration or apparent in the development documentation.

#1) Your Cell/Smartphone will be a 'slideshow' device as well, so instead of it 'independantly' being sync source to your inbox or appointments, it can be a direct link to your information on your PC.

#2) Also think of devices outside the normal geek range. Think Video on front of Fridge that you can use this technology to get live information from your PC in a new way.  Think TV Remotes that you can use this technology along with Live technologies to check email at a glance, remind you of something even if you are lounging in the den, or message friends without getting off the sofa to 'go to a PC'...

Smartphones are a good analogy to this type of technology, but I see them as being another 'screen' or viewpoint for this technology and an extension of a use of this technology, not a competitive format.

Just my two cents as an outsider looking in on some of the aspects.

(I used to carry a Toshiba laptop with a LCD Touchpad, it seemed like a silly idea, but once you had it, you miss even that level of functionality, so I can see good things coming from this, even if this is just the first step in a new way of thinking for mfgs and developers.)