Yesterday, Paul Thurrott and I revealed some pretty exciting news surrounding a new feature in Windows 7 called Windows XP Mode (formally Virtual XP). While Paul is working on the high level stuff – screenshots, features, etc. – I’m going to start with the more nitty gritty things the tinker tot inside us is burning to know (and play with).

But first, an overview.

To start, Windows XP Mode (XPM) is a new tight-knit solution of several already-available-today technologies. At the core of XPM are Virtual PC 7 (VPC) and the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) protocol. While VPC’s purpose is pretty clear, RDP’s may not. XPM makes heavy use of RDP features such as Remote Applications Integrated Locally (RAIL), compositing, and multi-monitor support.