I've been using Microsoft's remote desktop client for OS X on my iBook
to connect to my XP Pro workstation. This works quite well over a
wireless LAN; there's a bit of keystroke lag at times but overall it's
impressive. It's pleasant to do my checkbook on Quicken while sitting
downstairs.

I have learned a few things that I could not find documented anywhere
on the web. Here they are:

1. I was unable to connect to my XP workstation using the NetBIOS
(SMB, CIFS) share name. I had to use an IP address. RDC/Windows works
with the NetBIOS machine name, but I suspect RDC/Mac needs either an
IP address or a fully qualified DNS name. (I don't run a DNS on the
home LAN.)

2. I could reboot the remote machine, but then I couldn't login again.
I could only login via RDC if I'd already logged in on the remote XP
machine. This puzzled me for a day, then the solution occurred to me.
The default XP Pro login screen is "friendly", like OS X it displays
an icon or image and requests a pw when you click on it. RDC/OS X
doesn't like this, it needs the traditional login screen. To restore
the traditional NT/2k login screen go to control panel then ..

User Accounts
Choose Logon Logoff tab
Uncheck "Use Welcome Screen"

After this you can reboot remotely (I use the reboot option in the
task manager, get this via windows security, I think there's a way to
get a proper restart button but that's another tip) and login after
the machine reboots.

3. CPU speed matters. When I decrease processor speed on the iBook I
notice more keystroke lag!

john
[email]jfaughnan@spamcop.net[/email]

[meta: jfaughnan, jgfaughnan, remote desktop, Microsoft, Windows XP,
Mac OS X, remote control, Apple, iBook, portable, WLAN, 802.11b]