Apple Announces Remote Desktop 3

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Today, Apple announced Apple Remote Desktop 3. The release offers a wide range of high performance desktop management features including lightning-fast Spotlight searches across multiple Tiger systems; over 30 Automator actions for easily automating repetitive system administration tasks; a Dashboard Widget that provides quick and convenient observation of remote systems; and AutoInstall for installing software automatically on mobile systems when they return online.

Other new features in Apple Remote Desktop 3 include:

- System Status Indicators that let administrators quickly check the
overall health of multiple systems at a glance
- Power Copy files up to 11 times faster than with Apple Remote Desktop
2*
- Remote Drag and Drop files and folders between local and remote
computers
- Remote Copy and Paste for simple transfer of text and images between
local and remote computers
- Persistent Task History and Task Templates to make it easy to save and
replicate repetitive tasks
- Curtain Mode to hide the desktop of a system while it is being
controlled remotely
- Application Usage and User History Reports to track software compliance
and monitor the use of unauthorized applications
- Smart Computer Lists for dynamically managing systems based on
specified criteria
- AES 128-bit encryption for secure communications between Apple Remote
Desktop 3 and clients.

Apple Remote Desktop 3 will be avaliable today for $299 for a 10 computer license and $499 for an unlimited license.

News source: PR Newswire

Thanks to thefunkymonkey for the heads up!

#1 thefunkymunky on 11 Apr 2006 - 13:27

Quote -

Thanks to thefunkymonkey for the heads up!

aww. you got my name wrong. lol.

#2 MonkeyClaw on 11 Apr 2006 - 13:40

I thought i had, its early, lol. Ill edit it

(6 replies) #3 raskren on 11 Apr 2006 - 13:56

ARD3 is still ages behind good ol' Terminal Services.

#3.1 sphbecker on 11 Apr 2006 - 14:25

That is like comparing Apples to Oranges (pun intended).

Apple's Remote Desktop is primarily a remote administration/assistance tool and it has some really nice features in those areas (such as batch administration, reporting and WOL support) that Terminal Services do not offer at all. Terminal Services is a completely different animal; it allows a large number of users to log onto a server at the same time and use applications that are not installed on their desktops. Terminal Services in Remote Administration mode (which is what was ported to XP and called Remote Desktop) works very well for remotely taking over the desktop and remotely using a computer/server; it is the best remote desktop tool I have ever used.

It seems to me that Apple's remote desktop's main purpose is to allow you to centrally administrate a Mac network. You can't really use TS Remote Administration to do the same because all you can do is connect to each server/workstation's desktop and make your changes (that would take a very long time with 50+ computers). MS of course provides other ways to centrally manage a Windows network, which I tend to like more.

#3.2 aristotle-dude on 11 Apr 2006 - 15:26

TS is a basic tool for connecting to servers remotely. You cannot do anything else with it. It is not meant to be used as an alternative to citrix for example because it actually is "Citrix lite" based on technology licensed from Citrix.

This is more like a combination of SMS and PC anywhere/remote admin.

#3.3 xploit1030 on 11 Apr 2006 - 15:39

I wish SMS included tools to manage our macs. Its a pain in the butt to be able to manage 1000+ clients with SMS but have to go from desk to desk for the less than 50 macs on our network. I realize this tool will help manage those machines but it would be alot easier to teach the helpdesk personnel a single all encompassing tool for both Macs and PCs. (I can dream can't I)

Last edited by xploit1030 on 11 Apr 2006 - 16:15

#3.4 sphbecker on 11 Apr 2006 - 16:26

"TS is a basic tool for connecting to servers remotely. You cannot do anything else with it. It is not meant to be used as an alternative to citrix for example because it actually is "Citrix lite" based on technology licensed from Citrix."

Citrix uses TS under the covers... Citrix provides more features then TS in the areas of publishing applications and session management, but it still uses MS TS to allow the users to connect.

#3.5 aristotle-dude on 11 Apr 2006 - 17:54

I'm sorry sphbecker, you are wrong. Citrix came first. MSFT licensed technology from Citrix to create terminal services not the other way around. Look it up if you don't believe me.

You are the one that is confused here.

http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_...l-Services.html

Citrix, the company that actually developed the underlying technology behind Windows Terminal Services, wisely chose not to rest on its laurels but to continue refining and enhancing their product line until today they have a compelling suite of applications called Citrix MetaFrame Access Suite. This package consists of a handful of key products that run on Windows Server 2003 and go beyond what Windows Terminal Services itself can d].

I've dealt with citrix and terminal services probably a great deal than you have through work and researching which product to go with. Our company initially went with terminal services because of the lower initial cost but found that terminal services had major performance and scalability issues.

#3.6 sphbecker on 13 Apr 2006 - 12:11

You are completely missing the point. First; all I said is that Citrix (modern versions of it) require some of the infrastructure provided by Terminal Services. In fact, to use Citrix you must have Terminal Services installed and licensed and each user must have both a Ctrix license and a TS-CAL. But as I was saying, you are missing the point. All I said was that Terminal Services and Apple's Remote Desktop are very different things and put out a few examples. Bringing up Ctirx was completely off-topic.

#4 Toastyone on 11 Apr 2006 - 18:38

Apple Remote Desktop 3... I did not even know there was a 1 or 2 :/

(1 reply) #5 MrA on 11 Apr 2006 - 21:26

What's with these minor Apple announcements? First boot camp, now this. Where's the new iBooks or Powermacs (or whatever they're gonna be called) or a Leopard preview? Apple's 30th birthday has come and gone and we've seen nothing.

#5.1 Jayzee on 12 Apr 2006 - 08:01

Minor!? I would not call Boot Camp minor because it is a frikkin revolution that macs are now able to run windows and have support from Apple.
New iBooks and Powermacs are no huge news because they are released every now and then.

#6 Morphie on 12 Apr 2006 - 05:19

They don't have to have some big hurrah for their 30th birthday. I think Apple is done with being gimmicky. The 20th anniv. mac was silly, we don't need another one, and now isn't the time, especially while they are in the middle of a processor switch.

I'm glad they didn't make some silly device, and if they want to, they still have all year to do so anyway. It didn't have to be on the exact day, although it would have been the way to go for such things.

I'm glad ARD3 is out, I'll have to try it, as ARD2 just wasn't speedy enough, not nearly.

(1 reply) #7 LTD on 13 Apr 2006 - 21:24

MrA, lol, you're either flaming deliberately (I've seen people stick their head in the sand/foot in mouth on purpose), or you're on some really good crack, in which case I want some. I too, should get to suspend reality completely from time to time.

Apple has been doing nothing but innovating for over a year. No ass-dragging here. Intel dual-core architecture, the mini, the imac (which is gorgeous, by the way, I can't even hear mine), Front Row, Boot Camp (that alone is revolutionary!

, and Leopard, which is puported to not only implement huge design changes, but also to have dual-booting capability built-in. I use a mac (I'm a switcher), and I see nothing but innovation each time I'm in front of it, and innovation without having to download extra applications and having to purchase more hardware. I feel like a computer company finally gives a damn about me, the user, and is good enough to give it to me out of the box. No extra crap necessary.

Except for that little Quicktime issue and full screen playback ;-) Ahh, but there's a Dashboard widget to fix that. Bonus.

Cheers.

#7.1 MrA on 15 Apr 2006 - 03:10

No, I'm not flaming. The only time I'll flame is in a thread about Windows or IE

(well, I don't even flame then). And I'm not on crack, drugs are stupid.

I realize that apple has been innovating. They've done it for 30 years. I'm just saying that Apple's 30th birthday has come and gone and there hasn't been any major announcements (whether Boot Camp is major or not is in the eye of the beholder and I for one don't consider it to be since I don't care much for Windows). This seems like unusual behaviour from Apple. The 30th birthday was a prime time to introduce some long anticipated products (ibook, iphone, whatever) but it went by silently.

Once again, I have no intention of flaming. Just pointing out something I find strange.

#8 LTD on 15 Apr 2006 - 12:49

Fair enough, fair enough. I might have stepped in to frothy-mouth land for a second.

I don't care much for Windows anymore either, especially in light of the fact that nearly all major Windows apps are available for macs. Boot Camp basically bridges the gap anyway. And Leopard is supposed to take things even further.

I don't know what to tell you. I've heard about the iphone, which, if it will ever happen should be a big deal, but apart from that the big news is Boot Camp. It doesn't seem to be an "official" birthday rollout, though. And really, Boot Camp is basically additional software. Dual-booting is not possible by simply sticking an XP cd in the drive cold-turkey.

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