Microsoft Releases RDC and XML Converter Betas

Okay, it’s still in beta, but Microsoft has brought the Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) Client for Mac 2.0 into the modern age. RDC enables a Macintosh to control remote Windows machines running Terminal Services or Remote Desktop Services (that includes the Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate versions of Windows Vista, Windows XP Professional, and Windows Server 2003). Microsoft has given this latest update a redesigned user interface, dynamic screen resizing, customizable preferences, support for multiple sessions, better compatibility with Windows Vista, and support for local printing. It’s a universal
binary, requires Mac OS X 10.4.9 or later, and is a 4 MB download. This version of the beta expires 31-Mar-08.

Also released was the 0.2b update to the Office Open XML File Format Converter that includes improvements for converting Word’s .docx files and adds support for PowerPoint .pptx files. (See “Microsoft Office Open XML File Format Converter in Beta,” 2007-05-21, for more details.) Remember, you need Office 2004 11.3.4 or later (the current version is 11.3.6), or Office X 10.1.9 or later to open converted documents. This version of the converter expires on 31-Dec-07; it’s a 21.1 MB download.