Business | Technology
Virtual desktop: Widgets to allow access to your PC from any computer
For those unfamiliar with the concept, a virtual desktop makes your desktop, the one you use at home or at work, available from any computer that has the appropriate connection.
- By Scott Shuey, Chief Business Reporter
- Published: 00:38 April 12, 2008
For those unfamiliar with the concept, a virtual desktop makes your desktop, the one you use at home or at work, available from any computer that has the appropriate connection.
This technology isn't available via the internet, although there are a couple of sites that are promising to go beta later this year. I'm not holding my breath.
Widgetop, while not a true virtual desktop, tries to offer something similar with widgets.
The result is what the site calls a virtual web desktop. Widgets are applications that can be downloaded to real desktops and provide online content. Widgets can let you browse Amazon, view your RSS feeds or even browse maps without having to go to the actual website. Part of the beauty of widgets, is that they can be used and viewed simultaneously.
Widgetop offers a pretty good array of widgets, including a large number designed by other major websites, including YouTube and Google. Various categories are also available, such as sports, travel, shopping, etc. Each of these widgets, about 255, can be placed on a web page where they'll be available from where ever you access the Internet.
What I like best about the site is that it can be viewed on your mobile at http://m.widgetop.com. The number of phones supported is limited, although both Nokia and iPhones are on the list. I may not be that interested in using Google's map widget at home, but having the ability to use it on the road is pretty cool.
Of course, you can use Google Maps without having to go to Widgetop, but the advantage of using the virtual web desktop is that all of your widgets will be available on one page, instead of having to navigate several pages.
That may not seem big, but when you're billed by the kilobyte, it make a big difference to your Wasel account.
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