Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac 2.0 Beta Available Now

Greetings from the Macintosh Business Unit at Microsoft! We appreciate the interest many of you have shown about the new RDC client for Mac. As announced on Mac Mojo blog a couple of weeks ago,  we released a public beta version of Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) Client for Mac 2.0 on Tuesday July 31^st. RDC for Mac lets you connect to a Microsoft Windows-based computer and work with programs and files on that computer from your Macintosh computer. The 2.0 Beta includes the following new features:

• Universal Binary
  Runs natively on both Intel-based and PowerPC-based Macs.
• Remote Desktop Protocol 6.0
  Provides better compatibility with Windows Vista, improved security features, and many other improvements.
• Multiple Sessions
  Lets you connect to multiple Windows-based computers at the same time.
• Improved User Experience
  Provides a true Mac experience and improved usability.
• Improved Customization Options
  Lets you change application preferences, including keyboard shortcuts, while you are running a session. Changes take effect the next time that you connect.
• Dynamic Screen Resizing
  Lets you resize your session window or switch to full-screen mode during a session.
• Improved Printing Support
  Supports all configured printers on your Mac. No longer limited to PostScript printers.

Currently, RDC for Mac 2.0 (Beta) is only available in English, and supports only US English keyboards. Technical support is not available for this beta release.

For more information, including a list of known issues, see the Read Me for this application. After you install RDC for Mac 2.0 (Beta), open it, and then on the Help menu, click Read Me.

This Beta release expires on March 31, 2008.

Downloading

Go to this download page to get the RDC 2.0 for Mac beta build, which comes in .dmg format. After opening the disk image, double-click the Install Remote Desktop Connection package to start the installer and follow the install steps. Note that this is the same build as the pre-beta, and you do not need to reinstall if you already have the pre-beta build.

Submitting Feedback

We want to read your bug reports and suggestions! Please submit feedback at the RDC Connect site https://connect.microsoft.com/macrdc. You will need to sign in with a Windows Live ID to submit feedback. Read these tips for submitting bugs & suggestions, then click the Feedback link on the left. To discuss RDC beta issues with your fellow beta testers, please use the RDC public newsgroup microsoft.public.mac.rdc. You can access the newsgroup either by a newsreader or a browser.

Please remember all bugs must be filed through the MS Connect site. Due to limited resources on the MacBU RDC team, we will not be able to respond to all the public beta feedback. But rest assured that we will review all that you send our way!

Again, thanks for your interest. We cannot wait to hear about your impression of the new Mac client!

-David Liu and the MacBU RDC team