It certainly has its place, but as a remote desktop solution it is the simplest (and stupidest) way that functionality could possibly be implemented. VNC is what you use if you want to copy whatever is on the screen of the remote system, RDP is what you use if you want your displays connected to a remote system.
RDP lets you use all of the client's monitors, printers, clipboard, audio, USB devices, etc. as though they were plugged in to the host. The clipboard sharing extends to files, so you can drag and drop a file from the client to the host via the RDP window. If you lock your workstation at work with a bunch of running programs, drive home, and RDP into it, all of the applications will be moved to your RDP session and rearranged to fit your display(s). The next day you log back in at work and they get moved back to the local displays.
Oh, and did I mention all of this works well even on crap connections? I have been at jobs where a remote branch has such shit internet that they RDP into a VM at the head office to browse the internet because RDP uses less bandwidth than the sites they are browsing.
It certainly has its place, but as a remote desktop solution it is the simplest (and stupidest) way that functionality could possibly be implemented. VNC is what you use if you want to copy whatever is on the screen of the remote system, RDP is what you use if you want your displays connected to a remote system.
RDP lets you use all of the client's monitors, printers, clipboard, audio, USB devices, etc. as though they were plugged in to the host. The clipboard sharing extends to files, so you can drag and drop a file from the client to the host via the RDP window. If you lock your workstation at work with a bunch of running programs, drive home, and RDP into it, all of the applications will be moved to your RDP session and rearranged to fit your display(s). The next day you log back in at work and they get moved back to the local displays.
Oh, and did I mention all of this works well even on crap connections? I have been at jobs where a remote branch has such shit internet that they RDP into a VM at the head office to browse the internet because RDP uses less bandwidth than the sites they are browsing.
RDP is one of the things I miss using Linux.