[1] https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/google-cast/boadge...
(its what runs the Chromebooks. http://www.google.com/chromeos )
Will it work with Windows 8.1 which has Miracast support?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UXXNLlmz0A
http://www.ubergizmo.com/2013/06/windows-8-1-supports-miraca...
I hope they work with standards instead of creating proprietary and incompatible protocols.
Also, if your assertions are correct, please update the Wikipedia page, which states that "At present time, Miracast Source is mainly active on Android platforms." which seems to conflict with "only ... Balmer worshipers".
According to AvsForum news: "streams it directly to the Chromecast device from the cloud". So you are right about it being somewhat different from airPlay, but it clearly intends to be seamless, and not have a queue / download cycle, but stream it just as it would to your browser.
It also says "including Youtube, Netflix, and Google Play, Vudu, Hulu... anything that plays in a Chrome browser" which sounds a little different from "a method for driving-devices to send pointers to internet video streams". The latter seems to imply programming changes on the provider's part, whereas the former clearly does not. (I don't actually know which is true, just pointing out the differences).
AirPlay will send a URL to the Apple TV if possible. If you're streaming a video from a web page, it most likely will just send the URL to the Apple TV. The only communication with the device is the control channel.
And 'download' was to make explicit the chromecast is downloading the content from the internet itself; it's not taking a videostream from the device as in the Airplay/"device-as-brains" scenario.
I'm not sure there's any difference between the phrasings in your second paragraph. I certainly didn't intend to imply anything different.
Chromecast seems to be a method for driving-devices to send pointers to internet video streams or web pages, for the dongle to queue, download and then send to the display. The apps/content don't live on the mobile device at all. They live on remote internet servers. The device is just feeding a queue.
I'd also add a wrinkle to your statement about devices being awesome as typing/searching interfaces: that's true, but they come with negatives.
The real problem with "device as brains", is that your device does many other jobs. And you may not want those jobs in-your-face when you're watching a movie, or showing pictures, or even just trying to add background-music to a dinner party.
Devices are more difficult to deal with when you just want to pause something, the notifications are there, the temptations are there and the social negatives are there [1].
But while everyone's tossing out Airplay wish-lists -- it'd be nice if I could airplay a movie to my TV but have the audio still piped to the headphones.
[1] You may be trying to switch playlists, but to everyone else it looks for all the world like texting.