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 Windows SideShow running on a simulator, from top left to bottom middle: "Touch", "Landscape", and "Portrait" style. | |
| Developer(s) | Microsoft |
|---|---|
| Initial release | January 30, 2007 |
| Operating system | Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 |
| Type | Auxiliary display platform |
| Website | (From the archive) web |
Windows SideShow (codenamed Auxiliary Display) was a feature by Microsoft introduced in Windows Vista to supply information such as e-mail, instant messages, and RSS feeds from a personal computer to a local or remote peripheral device or display. SideShow was intended to enhance the Windows experience by enabling new mobility scenarios for the Windows platform and by providing power saving benefits as part of Microsoft's broader efforts regarding a mobile initiative.
SideShow was unveiled in 2003 as a feature of Windows Vista ("Longhorn") to provide peripheral awareness of information. Preliminary documentation from Microsoft focused on using it to provide online information in an internal display of a mobile device such as a laptop while supporting desktop computer scenarios; information could also be cached for later use when offline or when in sleep mode. Microsoft planned to include a Control Panel applet and configurable battery, calendar, email, wireless network, and Windows Media Player modules for SideShow.
SideShow was included with the release of Windows Vista in 2006, which included modules for Windows Mail and Windows Media Player, and would ultimately encompass other aspects of the Windows platform and Microsoft ecosystem. Microsoft Office supported SideShow with the release of Microsoft Office 2007. Microsoft introduced SideShow support for Windows CE, Windows Mobile 5.0, and Windows Mobile 6.0 in 2008 and released modules for applications such as Microsoft Office 2003, Microsoft PowerPoint, Windows Media Center, and Windows Sidebar. SideShow was supported with the release of Windows 7 in 2009. With the release of Windows 8.1 in 2013, SideShow was discontinued.