Taking a much needed break from writing my upcoming book, Hacking Windows Vista, I started upgrading all of my machines to the new Vista build, 5536 (Pre-RC1).  After first updating my test box, I decided to go ahead and upgrade my primary desktop as well.  That machine has a fast enough processor and a graphics card that supports the new Aero a.k.a. glass interface, unlike my test box.  Once the new build was installed, I went exploring to try to find all of the new things that changed.  Eventually, it was time to get back to writing (I already a little behind on the next deadline) so installed Microsoft Office and configured Word again with my template from Wiley.

I was in the middle of writing about Bitlocker Drive Encryption when I needed to RDP to my test box. It was at that moment that I saw something shocking that I never saw before.  Remote Desktop was showing my remote test box in Aero. It had the full animations, transparencies and effects just as smooth as on my desktop. I could even use Flip 3D remotely through RDP.  Now I think you would agree that is pretty cool, but that is not all. The best part is that my test box has one of those Intel integrated graphics chips that have no chance of ever running glass yet my desktop was displaying it in glass.

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If your computer can handle Vista Aero, any computer you RDP to also running Vista will automatically have it's UI shown in Aero as well. Even if the remote machine has no chance of ever running it.

How is that possible? RDP is doing what made RDP a great remote utility. It does not only capture the screen in bitmaps and then transfer them over. Instead, it sends raw window information and the windows are drawn by the RDP client on your computer. In Windows Vista, that raw window information now includes 3D instructions.

In all fairness this is not exactly new technology for Microsoft. They were already doing something similar with the XBOX 360 media center extender (any media center extender uses a special RDP session). However, Windows Vista is their first OS to take advantage of this technology in its RDP client.

Now that it is possible to send 3D commands over a remote terminal session, who knows what we will see in the future. Some day we may be able to play 3D games over a RDP session.