Windows SideShow

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Windows SideShow
Basic data

developer Microsoft
operating system Windows 7
Windows Vista
Windows Mobile
Windows CE
License Proprietary
German speaking Yes
Windows SideShow

Windows SideShow is a now discontinued technology that was introduced with Windows Vista . It made it possible for Windows PCs to operate a large number of auxiliary devices for display that are connected to the main PC. These devices can be separate or integrated in the main PC (e.g. a display on the outside of a notebook display) and enable access to information and media even when the computer itself is switched off. SideShow can also enable the display of PC data on cell phones or other devices connected via WLAN or Bluetooth .

SideShow display devices can be supplied with a variety of different information, such as: B. contacts, cards, appointments or e-mail messages. These can be used when the PC is switched off. Since the underlying platform is so energy efficient, side-show displays integrated in notebooks can run for hundreds of hours without draining the notebook's battery, while access to data and multimedia content is available at all times.

SideShow is connected to Windows Sidebar ( Microsoft Gadget ) and these can easily be expanded so that they are compatible with SideShow displays. In any case, hardware and chip providers can also provide capabilities to enable multimedia applications such as text, images, audio and video. For example, a notebook with an additional display can be used as an MP3 player while it is switched off and the notebook battery provides hundreds of hours of power for playback, since the SideShow platform does not consume as much power as the notebook itself that is switched on .

SideShow APIs

A Windows SideShow gadget is written by programming with the Windows APIs , an API available with Windows Vista. An API for .NET developers has also been released that contains templates for Microsoft Visual Studio 2005/2008 to demonstrate how to program SideShow gadgets.

Windows SideShow devices have different hardware properties than devices such as cell phones or PDAs . Windows SideShow devices have their own processor; you don't have to rely on the computer alone to perform tasks. There are online and offline capabilities that allow the device to operate larger components on the connected computer. The following list contains typical display types and technologies:

Display types
Type of device description
Extended display An auxiliary display that can display color content including text and images, e.g. B. a device that executes Microsoft's rendering code for the .NET Micro Framework.
Single line display An auxiliary display that is able to show a single line of text but not images.
Integrated display An auxiliary display that sits on the front of a notebook, desktop or server, for example on the outside of a notebook display.
Distant display An auxiliary display that is not placed directly on the computer, but communicates with the computer via wireless network protocols such as Bluetooth or WLAN.

Hardware-specific applications that make media such as audio or video available can be controlled via the SideShow user interface, which is required by the SDK of the specific platform manufacturer. For example PortalPlayer Inc. provides the “Preface” platform, which has capabilities such as encoding / decoding of MP3 , AAC or MPEG-4 and other formats.

Lack of market acceptance and end

SideShow was received with little enthusiasm by the OEMs . Some see SideShow as an attempt by Microsoft to get manufacturers to produce hardware that is only compatible with Microsoft operating systems.

On February 1, 2010, Ikanos Consulting announced Threemote, a suite of SideShow compatible products for embedded platforms including Golden-i , Google Android and Microsoft Windows Mobile .

After all, Microsoft itself sealed the end of gadgets and thus the side show in 2012. They wanted to focus more on Windows 8 and its Live Tiles, and the gadgets were now viewed as an unrecoverable security problem, so the decision was made to remove them from Windows Vista and 7 using the FixIt tool.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ The Curtain Falls On Windows Vista's "SideShow" . In: The Washington Post . 
  2. ↑ blog.threemote.com  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / blog.threemote.com  
  3. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/de-de/help/13787/gadgets-have-been-discontinued. Retrieved October 15, 2018 .
  4. ↑ BetaFred: Microsoft security recommendation 2719662. Retrieved on October 15, 2018 (German).