I’d probably shock twelve-year-old me if I went back in time and told him that for the last thirteen years I’d been an avid user of a game console built by none other than Microsoft.¹ But here I am, on my second Xbox, and I remain pretty happy with my gaming choices over the past decade and change.

Last month, Seattle-based startup Rainway came out with some big news: the tech behind its web-based gaming platform powers the PC and iOS versions of Microsoft's Project xCloud. Project xCloud is a game streaming service from Microsoft. Currently in a preview period, xCloud is slated to launch sometime in 2020. Although the library is limited right now, more than 3,000. Apr 30, 2021 For the past three years or so, Microsoft has been working on a cloud-gaming service which was known as Project xCloud. Late last year, Microsoft officially launched this service as a competitor to Google Stadia, NVIDIA GeForce Now, and others. But with the official launch came a rebranding, and xCloud is now known as Xbox Cloud Gaming.

That said, I also own a Nintendo Switch, which has the benefit of being able to go wherever I do. The Xbox doesn’t match that portability…yet.

Xbox Cloud Gaming is our technology that allows you to play over 100 console games on the devices you already have with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and a compatible controller. As part of your Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership, you can enjoy the console games you love, the people you want to play together with, on the devices you already have, all. Sep 19, 2021 Microsoft Project Remote App For Mac Os; Project xCloud for mobile devices has been available on Android for a few months now, but as of today, Microsoft is expanding it to the iPhone and iPad through a limited TestFlight beta test.

A few weeks back, I signed up for beta access to Microsoft’s new Project xCloud game streaming service, right on the heels of its availability on iOS. (Though Microsoft had announced the service would support the iPhone and iPad, earlier betas had only worked on Android.) I’ve spent a little bit of time with it over the past couple weeks, and though it’s not without its flaws, I’ve come away impressed at what Microsoft has put together, even in this early stage.

The idea behind Project xCloud is simple: use an app on your smartphone or tablet to stream console games. You’ll also need a Bluetooth-compatible Xbox controller which, thanks to iOS 13, can easily be paired with your iOS devices.² During the preview period, Microsoft doesn’t require users to own an Xbox console or the games—it’s unclear what the final finished product will require.³

While the Android version of the preview apparently supports more than 50 games, the iOS version currently only offers a “single” title: Microsoft’s own Halo: The Master Chief Collection, which includes the first six Halo games, including updated versions of Halo and Halo 2. These are obviously good showcase titles for Microsoft, given that the newest game on there, Halo 4, is from 2012, so they aren’t as graphically intensive as games being released in 2020. But they’re not without their own inherent challenges: Halo is a very twitch-oriented first-person shooter series, meaning that running into problems with latency can significantly affect gameplay—especially in multiplayer.

I’ve spent most of my time in the single-player campaign of the original Halo‘s 2011 remaster, since it’s a game I’ve played only a little, and I’ve been mostly impressed with the performance. Though there is definitely some lag at times (especially with sound effects, weirdly), I haven’t felt that it impacted my enjoyment of the game—or, perhaps I’m more forgiving, given the title’s age.

I did try a little bit of Halo 3 multiplayer, something that I spent a lot of time with in its heyday, and I acquitted myself reasonably. Though I definitely experienced some lag here and there, I didn’t feel like it hurt me more significantly than my rustiness at the game, though I did find myself cranking up the look sensitivity to make the controls feel more responsive.

Graphics are a mixed bag: playing on my 10.5-inch iPad Pro, they were sometimes crystal clear, and other times—especially in outdoor scenes on Halo‘s eponymous ring—somewhat muddy and pixelated. Scenes that seemed less graphically demanding, such as driving through underground tunnels, were far clearer. It’s possible to chalk up some of this to my Internet connection or router, though my speed tests regularly register 100 Mbps downstream, which is far in excess of the 10Mbps connection Microsoft says is required. (I did occasionally get a notification saying my connection was weak.) Project xCloud does support cellular networks as well, but I’m not sure I’m willing to put my data plan through that as yet.

Speaking of usage, Project xCloud will definitely chew through your battery—but that’s no surprise, given the demands on graphics and CPU, display, and both the Internet and Bluetooth connections. Your mileage may, of course, vary, but don’t expect this to be an all-day gaming affair—or, at least, bring a charger.

There’s also the challenge of playing on a much smaller screen than usual, which raises questions of viewing angles and reading onscreen text. My first attempt at playing games was with my iPhone 11 Pro and I quickly understood why Microsoft recommends a clip for attaching your phone to your controller. Even propped up in a stand at the correct angle, getting close enough to the screen to see details like the HUD was a (often literal) pain.

I fared better on my 10.5-inch iPad Pro, though even there I still had trouble at times arranging it at the right height. But using the Smart Keyboard in its “stand” arrangement wasn’t too bad for playing at my desk.

Using the Xbox controller was perhaps the best part of the experience, since it required no adaptation on my part whatsoever (other than making sure Halo was using my preferred control scheme). Supposedly xCloud will allow developers to roll out custom touch controls for games, though on something like an FPS, it’s really hard to match the precision of a controller, as many iOS game developers have discovered over the years.

That said, I did run into some issues with the controller where buttons didn’t react immediately and then sometimes “caught up,” resulting in double shots, or in some cases, turning an automatic weapon into a semi-automatic. In the original Halo in particular, the zoom functionality of the sniper rifle, which has both a 2x and 10x level was especially unreliable, requiring me to mash the button several times to get to the higher zoom.

Out of curiosity, I did at one point try to mirror my iPad’s display to my Apple TV to see if I could use it as though it were a console, but the graphics and sound stuttered unplayably. (Again, it’s quite possibly that my setup may be part of the problem there.) I’ll be interested to see if Microsoft will consider porting the app to the Apple TV, or if that would hew too close to its Xbox business.

I’m not sure if I want to play an entire console game via a streaming setup, but depending on how xCloud pricing and availability work out—things that Microsoft hasn’t discussed yet—it could be an attractive option for those who don’t want to invest in yet another console. And, as an Xbox owner, the ability to pick up and play where I left off on my console while I’m on the go—one of the major selling points of the Nintendo Switch—has a lot of appeal.

And, obviously, Microsoft’s not alone in this streaming market: Google has already launched its own offering, Stadia, though initial reviews have not been unequivocally positive. It’ll be interesting to see how these two competitors build out their services in terms of not only the quality of streaming offered, but also the game libraries. Given Microsoft’s existing status in the game market, it may have to worry more about cutting into sales of its hardware—though I imagine that whatever is offered in Project xCloud will not come close to what will be available on its next-generation Xbox Series X console, due later this year. Then again, for those of us who want to catch up on a whole generation of games that we may have missed, streaming older titles may be just fine.

But for a service that is only in beta so far, Project xCloud feels remarkably solid, if still in need of improvement. It’ll be interesting to see how that progresses throughout the beta process and into the final product.

1. Also, he’d probably be wondering what the hell happened to all his hair? ↩
2. Supposedly Sony’s Dual Shock controller will be supported in the future as well. ↩
3. Confusingly, Microsoft also has a beta of a Console Streaming program that lets you stream games you own directly from your Xbox to a mobile device. It’s unclear how these two services will intersect or differ when they’re finally released. ↩

[Dan Moren is the East Coast Bureau Chief of Six Colors. You can find him on Twitter at @dmoren or reach him by email at dan@sixcolors.com. His latest novel, The Aleph Extraction, is out now and available in fine book stores everywhere, so be sure to pick up a copy.]

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Project xCloud for mobile devices has been available on Android for a few months now, but as of today, Microsoft is expanding it to the iPhone and iPad through a limited TestFlight beta test.

If you are a project manager using Apple devices, then you know that a PC-bias still exists in the software industry, especially when it comes to anything Microsoft Project. But in 2019, we have options.

While most all software manufactures provide versions of their apps and services that work on both Macs and PCs, Microsoft does not have a macOS version of Project, making your team project work awkward, indeed. To restore harmony in this fractured computer-verse (Mac vs. PC, Apple vs. Google, iOS vs. Android, Siri vs. Alexa, etc.), there are a number of ways for you and your project team to get to Microsoft Project plans:

1. The long road, where you use an app to create a “virtual” second computer onboard the hard drive of your MacBook, iMac or MacPro (called a virtual machine), and then you install Microsoft Project within a virtual Windows.
2. The winding road, where you meander from Safari to the Project Online website (through an Office 365 subscription), or you are directed to some other project website running SharePoint with a Project Server, and that’s where you do all of your project work - from within a web browser.
3. The short cut…

1. MOOS Project Viewer is a Microsoft Project viewer that can open any MS Project file type (.mpp,.mpt,.mpx,.xml) for any Microsoft Project version (2000, 2003 and 2007). Available views: WBS, Gantt chart, task sheet, resource sheet, resource us.
2. Technology These Are the 8 Best MacOS Apps for Working Remotely Being productive while working remotely often comes down to the tools you use. Here are eight apps you should download for your Mac.
3. Use Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac to connect to a remote PC or virtual apps and desktops made available by your admin. With Microsoft Remote Desktop, you can be productive no matter where you are. GET STARTED Configure your PC for remote access using the information at https://aka.ms/rdsetup.

This article discusses the long and winding road (and reveals the shortcut) in terms of pros and cons, as well as providing estimated “travel” costs for your journey…

1) The Long Road: Virtualizing your Mac to run Microsoft Windows + MS Project

What may sound like a quick jog (just run windows on your Mac) this is actually the road less traveled, and for good reason. This slog involves subscribing to one of many providers of a virtualization layer (Parallels Desktop, VMware, etc.) used before you install any flavor of Microsoft Windows that you may have on hand - and finally, once that’s all up and running, then can you install Microsoft Project and get to your work on an Apple device.

PROS

• In addition to running Microsoft Project, you can install and run any Windows app that you want.
• If something goes wrong with Windows or Project (as things sometimes do), you can just “blow away” that virtual machine and use your automatically created backup copy.

CONS

• Requires one more subscription to a software service (for example, Parallels or VMWare).
• Adds another layer to your Mac that needs a bit of worrying about (in addition to everything else that worries you).
• Creates files so large (after all, there’s an entire computer stuffed inside) you may have to upgrade your Mac’s internal hard drive to something gigabytes bigger.

2) The Winding Road: Using Project Online and all the restto get there..

There are many reasons that you might want to take the meandering path of using your Mac’s web browser to access Microsoft Project data, but simplicity would not be one of them. If all you want to do is to open, edit or create new Microsoft Project files, then don’t install SharePoint Server or any other servers just to do that – that would be silly and overly complex in this age of cloud computing and software-as-a-service (SaaS). Just jump to #3 for a much shorter path.

PROS

• This setup may be essential to your large enterprise (in other words, you have no choice but to follow this path).

CONS

• If you work anywhere that the internet doesn’t, you are out of luck.
• If you are a small-to-mid sized business, the expense of it all may bust your bottom line.
• If you are the Project Manager for your team without dedicated IT support, this could be trouble.
  (It’s easier to raise children then to manage all of these systems.)

3) The Shortest Distance Between Two Points: Project Plan 365

If all you want to do is to collaborate with other folks sharing or creating Microsoft project data, then just download the free 30-day trial of either Project Plan 365 for Mac or Project Plan 365 for iOS. This gives you the flexibility to work on any Microsoft Project-created data file, regardless of your hardware or internet connection. Both apps allow you to do exactly the same thing: open, edit or create any Microsoft Project file (.MPP) with no conversions or imports from other odd formats, like .XML or .XLSX - or any other type of file where things can go wrong and mess with your precious project data. This is by far the “shortest distance between two points” for any Project Manager wanting to work on a Mac.

Current users of Microsoft Project will instinctively know how to use Project Plan 365, as the interface is virtually the same – no learning curve here to slow you down.

In addition, by subscribing to the Business (PMO) plan, project managers (especially those working in small-to-medium sized businesses) can augment their Microsoft Project experience as well, by using such Project Plan 365 features as real-time collaboration, portfolio and resource management and more. In short, a Project Management Office (PMO) can be set up on the cheap and within a few hours after your team subscribes to this plan.

PROS

• The simplest solution for the stated problem.
• The cheapest solution for the stated problem.
• Adds even more to the experience of being a Microsoft Project user, and gives your team more capabilities as you roll out your projects.

CONS

• None to speak of 🙂

Microsoft Project Remote App For Mac Os

The Bottom Line..

The bottom line depends on how far you are willing to go, just to get to a Microsoft Project file, or to collaborate with your team who are all using the same set of Microsoft Project data. Must your team use Project Online / SharePoint / Project Server because your management team has made that edict? Well, we feel for you… perhaps a new Microsoft laptop is in your future, leaving your shiny new Mac in the dust. But if not, taking the shortcut (#3 above) is going to save you time and money:

Road Taken..

Zgameeditor visualizer 2 vst download. 1. The long road:

2. The winding road:

3. The shortcut:

Cost per user, per year (in USD)

Approximately $1000

Mega-bucks in Enterprise dollars!

$200

Which solves the problem? #1 yes, #2 not really and #3, sure thing!

In addition to user cost savings per year, other intangibles are gained, such as the convenience of working on your project plans (or having someone else updating your plan) no matter where in the world you or anyone on your team is working (say on the plains of the Sudan, the beaches of Fiji or atop Mt. Everest) – you will always have a way to edit your Microsoft Project plans on your favorite Apple device.

Project Plan 365 also allows you to take Microsoft Project files and go well beyond what you can do within the Microsoft app; for example, with Project Plan 365 you can build a PMO on the cheap, manage and report on your entire portfolio of projects, and store your files in a private and secure cloud - without having to purchase expensive software servers or buy any more new hardware.

Microsoft Project is the best project, portfolio, and resource management solution—but it’s not available on macOS®. However, with Parallels Desktop® for Mac, Apple® users can use a Windows virtual machine (VM) to run Microsoft Project on Mac®.

Getting started with running MS Project on macOS is easy:

1. Download a trial of Parallels Desktop.
2. Set up a Windows 10 VM. It’s very easy to buy a new Windows 10 license inside Parallels Desktop. (You can also use an existing Windows 10 license key.)
3. Purchase Microsoft Project and download the .exe file in your Windows 10 VM.
4. Start using Microsoft Project to get your job done!

Parallels Desktop is the #1 virtualization solution to run Windows, Linux, and other popular operating systems on Mac. Virtualization of a Windows OS on Mac has endless benefits, including:

• Low cost in comparison to buying a second computer
• Minimized or eliminated downtime
• Increased productivity
• Faster backups
• Easy to recover or migrate to additional Mac devices
• Economic use of energy
• Eco-friendly choice to minimize the amount of electronic waste a single user produces.

Microsoft Project Xcloud

If you’re still deciding if Parallels Desktop is right for you, continue reading to understand how a program manager utilizes virtualization to run Microsoft Project.

As a self-employed program manager, Tim specializes in large-scale data migrations and the development of sustainable business intelligence (BI) and analytic solutions. He has a wealth of experience in both IT and capital asset delivery, as well as general management, operational, and strategic roles in asset-intensive industries and regulation.

Like most consultants, Tim needs slick and stable IT to allow him to focus on the real issues. He doesn’t want IT issues to constantly be distracting him. Parallels Desktop offers a reliable platform that allows him to deliver.

As an avid personal user of Apple products, Tim also wished to migrate his work life to Mac. However, for most clients he needed to use Microsoft Project as a Gantt chart management tool. Being able to manage multi-project plans is an essential element for any program manager. Unfortunately, Microsoft Project is one of the few pieces of Microsoft software that has not been developed to run on macOS.

After online research, Tim concluded that the only successful way to use Microsoft Project on a Mac was through a Windows virtual machine. He discussed the issue directly with Apple, and they recommended Parallels Desktop as a solution.

Project Xcloud Beta Ios

Following a very simple installation of Parallels, Tim can now use Microsoft Project natively within a Windows environment on his MacBook Pro®. This means there’s no translation between products claiming to act as a Microsoft Project editor—quite simply, he’s running a Windows version of Microsoft Project on his Mac. It has proved to be an excellent solution for Tim.

Tim wholeheartedly recommends Parallels Desktop, which he has now been using successfully for several months. Installation was simple, and there are many configuration options that can be changed. (For example, the amount of memory dedicated to the Apple or Windows operating system.) This gives greater flexibility to the user. Tim hasn’t had any issues with Parallels Desktop at all, and the product is extremely stable in every way. Tim also added that Parallels® Toolbox (which comes included with Parallels Desktop) has been useful. He particularly likes the disk cleaning tool, which ensures his laptop is always operating efficiently.

If you’d like to use Parallels Desktop to run popular Windows programs on Mac (without rebooting!), download a free 14-day trial.