• Citrix Receiver for Windows.The Citrix Receiver replaces the Citrix Online Plug-in for Windows. The Online Plug-in 13.0 is embedded in Receiver.
• Unified user experience. Gives end users a common user interface whether using only Citrix Receiver or with any other Citrix Plug-ins.
• Improved user experience. Improved application launching and reconnection.
• Internet Explorer 9 support.
• Simplified listing of devices in the Desktop Viewer. To simplify the display of USB devices, by default any that use the Generic USB virtual channel (for example, webcams and memory sticks) are not displayed on the Devices tab of the Desktop Viewer Preferences dialog box. Users can view the complete list of devices using a checkbox on the tab.
• Enhanced Desktop Viewer user interface. The Preferences dialog box in the Desktop Viewer has been redesigned, and the USB button on the toolbar is now calledDevices.
• Windows 7 support. The Citrix Desktop Lock (formerly called the Desktop Appliance Lock) now supports Windows 7.
• RemoteFX support. As an alternative to the Desktop Viewer UI, you can form connections to XenDesktop VDAs using Microsoft RemoteFX. For instructions on this, seeCTX129509.
• Session pre-launch. Reduced application launch time at high-traffic periods. Configure this feature on the server and client sides.
• Multi-stream ICA. Improved QoS support by allowing Branch Repeater and third party routers to apply QoS policies across multiple ICA connections.
• Multiple audio device redirection. Enables remoting of multiple audio devices present on the user device.
• New Single Sign-On Plug-in. Simplified password management.
• Seamless Taskbar Grouping. Taskbar icons associated with applications published with XenApp 6 or later are grouped by application similar to how local application icons are grouped.
• Aero support. Receiver now supports the display of Windows Aero theme on virtual desktops. A new .msi file is included that works with the Virtual Desktop Agent (part of XenDesktop) to provide the support.
• User documentation. Topics that describe how users interact with their virtual desktops and control the Desktop Viewer have been moved from eDocs to the Receiver for Windows online help, which also includes the Connection Center help. This is available at http://support.citrix.com/help/receiver/en/receiverHelpWin.htm.

Deciding Which Receiver to Use

Different enterprises have different corporate needs, and your expectations and requirements for the way users access your published resources and virtual desktops can shift as your corporate needs evolve and grow.

The Receivers and their internal features are:

• Citrix Receiver ( CitrixReceiver.exe) – Smaller package that you can deploy from a Web page.
  • Receiver Experience
  • Web plug-in
  • Generic USB (XenDesktop)
  • Desktop Viewer (XenDesktop)
  • HDX Media Stream for Flash
  • Aero desktop experience (for operating systems that support it)
  Important: To use single sign-on, you must install CitrixReceiverEnterprise.exe.

• Citrix Receiver (Enterprise) (CitrixReceiverEnterprise.exe)
  • Receiver Experience
  • Web plug-in
  • PNA plug-in
  • Single sign-on/pass-through authentication
  • Generic USB (XenDesktop)
  • Desktop Viewer (XenDesktop)
  • HDX Media Stream for Flash
  • Aero desktop experience (for operating systems that support it)

The Receivers differ in terms of:

• Access method by which published resources and virtual desktops are delivered to users. Resources and desktops can be delivered to users on the desktop or through a Web browser.
• Installation packages.

To decide which Receiver best fits your needs, consider the way you want users to access your published resources and virtual desktops, the way you want to manage this access, and the feature set that your users will need.