RealVNC Widget - Page 2

wot_fan · 06-12-2007, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by joe

Do you mean besides Apple Remote Desktop?

What I am looking for is an inexpensive/free service like logmein for the PC. Basically it works just like PCAnywhere. I can sit in front of a Mac or PC, log into the logmein website and take control of one of my PCs. The desktop of the controlled PC just appears in the browser window.

Apple Remote Desktop is a little pricey for what I need. I would also like a solution that allows me to control my Mac from a PC.

joe · 06-12-2007, 01:20 PM

I've controlled another Mac remotely using VNC. There are a few free options out there and they work just fine. You setup a VNC server on the remote Mac then run a VNC client on the computer you are using to connect to and control the remote Mac.

Spin This! · 06-12-2007, 01:22 PM

^^ as Joe said.

Why not just enable Remote Desktop on your PCs and download the Mac version from Microsoft?

For going the other way (controlling a Mac), enable remote desktop on the Mac. You don't need Apple's software... just a VNC program (such as Chicken of the VNC or RealVNC).

ilLegalBeagle · 06-12-2007, 01:22 PM

Admittedly, it's been about five years since I used VNC with any regularity. But back in 2003, when I left IT to go to law school, we had webports for VNC, so we could remote control the servers without having to install VNC on the remote client. Surely, if that was the case then, there would be some simple way to do that now. And since Jobs killed widget development outside Apple's walls for the time being, that's the only real option, anyway, right?

So, assuming the software is compatible with Safari, you install VNC on your desktop and port it through IIS (or whatever you use). Then, assign a port to it and firewall the dickens out of it. Finally, when iPhone hits the shelves, you open up your Safari browser and go to http://your.vnc.ip.address

ort and log in.

Am I skipping a step or overlooking something?

ilLegalBeagle

Spin This! · 06-12-2007, 01:30 PM

you might find this Wikipedia article useful:

Comparison of Remote Desktop Software

wot_fan · 06-13-2007, 11:18 AM

Thanks everyone for the info. It is great to know the options available. I have a little reading/research to do now though

.

godspropy · 06-13-2007, 08:35 PM

I just wanted to say that I've been using Terminal Services, which has been renamed to Remote Desktop on my Windows Mobile Phones (to my PC) for 3 years now. You do have to scroll around a bit but it is definitely useful. I mainly use it for things that I can't do on my phone directly (which isn't much) like certain web pages that use flash or something not supported in Pocket IE (but Safari on the iPhone shouldn't have that problem). That is going to be one of the hard features to let go of when I switch from Windows Mobile to the iPhone. However, not having to reboot my phone every other day will be great.

Another feature I'll miss is being able to share the phone's internet connection through Bluetooth or USB to my PC/MAC. That was very useful in airports/hotels when there was no free wifi.

Then there is the lack of external storage (storage card). This was nice to when there was no network or wireless to download files onto the phone and use a keychain USB reader to load onto the computer.

I could go on but I think (hope) the benefits will outweigh the drawbacks.

Spin This! · 06-14-2007, 11:34 AM

Looks like Flash won't be on the iPhone (at least initially).

Fantom23 · 07-14-2009, 07:39 AM

For remote connections from PC to PC I use PC File Transfer, as for managing your computer by phone - would be nice, but never heard of such tool.