Mira, a portable wireless flat panel display designed by Microsoft for home users, will not be compatible with the Windows XP Home Edition, a company official confirmed Tuesday.
Since the consumer version of the operating system does not include a remote desktop protocol, the device will only work with Windows XP Professional.
Microsoft is currently working on a solution, said Eddie Wu, senior director for Mircrosoft's Embedded Systems Group in Asia.
Wu said Microsoft could either release a service pack for the XP Home edition, or users can upgrade to the professional version.
He was speaking at the sidelines of the Computex trade show in Taiwan where Mira prototypes were showcased. The tablet is manufactured by a string of consumer-electronics players including Philips, LG Electronics and Trigem, and Taiwanese firms such as AboCom Systems, Tatung, Winstron and First International Computer.
Although it contains software and a processor, Mira doesn't function as a standalone computer. It works in conjunction with a PC and acts as an entertainment control center to surf the Web, control TVs, game consoles and other devices.
Mira devices are slated to go on sale this Christmas in the U.S. and Japan, said Wu. Prices are expected to range between US$500 and US$800, depending on the bundle and LCD panel size, which will be determined by the manufacturer.
News source: ZDNet
