DisplayLink tools up iPad as wireless Windows screen DisplayLink, the company best known for gadgets that connect monitors through USB ports, has released software that will allow a Windows 7 machine to use an iPad as a secondary display. And it does it with Windows' Aero UI, wirelessly over Wi-Fi. DisplayLink and iPad You'll need to install code on both devices: the iPad app …
(which has been out for years and does the same sort of thing) then you'll be able to use the iPad as a touchscreen monitor as well. If you're really lucky it'll fire up the tablet functionality in Windows7 and pass it TUIO or similar data.
Couldn't you set up VNC or RDP to work like this?
Price - Air display is a bit more expensive I think I paid around $10 for it when I purchased it last year. Well worth the cost though, for $8 more you get an app that works as a spare monitor on BOTH Mac and PC as well as touch screen remote control. I use it with my mac book and iPad when coding/debugging and when giving presentations on the road.
And for those of you who complain about the price of the ipad vrs a second monitor, well the ipad is a lot easier to travel with plus it's wireless! I don't think I would want to lug even a small LCD around the country with me, even if it survived the baggage handlers the extra bag fees eat you alive these days! :-)
And yes you can use VNC or similar free remote control products to do the remote control or monitor mirroring, in fact that's what I used to do when driving presentations from my iphone, but it does not give you the option of 2 monitors which is great for development that these products do.
Air Display works great on Macs,I have had no issues on any of my 3 mac systems running it on Leopard or Snow Leopard. I did hear some windows users where having intermittent issues with Windows although I have not had a problem with this when running on my windows 7/Vista test boxes, your mileage may vary.
I agree it was fairly remiss of Tony not to mention in his review that similar apps already exist. The review as posted does seem to imply that this is something new and unique.
As for comparisons with Air Display, while others seem to have had no issues I often found Air Display to be a bit temperamental on Win7 64bit. I just tried DisplayLink and, for me, there are at least three immediate advantages.
1. It worked straight away with no tweaking of firewall / AV settings or other minutiae.
2. It doesn't require Aero to be turned off, nor does it turn it off in operation.
3. Because it uses Windows' own Screen and Resolution controls it allows for pure display mirroring, albeit only at the iPad native resolution, which I believe Air Display still can't do on the PC.
There are limitations which might be deal-breakers for some, possibly the most significant being that the iPad can't be used for input. So it's only of use as a second local monitor or a remote presentation device, not as a way of taking some of your PC functionality "with you" on the iPad like you can with Air Display or Splashtop Remote.
And it's iPad only, unlike Air Display which also works with iPhones and iPod touches.
But if what it provides is all you need then it's pretty damn good for the price of a couple of Mars bars. When I'm using the main PC the iPad is invariably sat next to the main monitor, so it makes perfect sense to use it passively as a second display.
I'll no doubt spend the next few months bouncing between this and Air Display as the inevitable feature war ensues. Competition can't be a bad thing.
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