When it comes to remote desktop (RD) apps, there are a lot of
choices - most of them either expensive or complicated to use.
Personally, I've tried at least a dozen, but only one works the way I
want it to, TeamViewer.
Overview
TeamViewer, developed by
TeamViewer GmbH, is a powerful cross-platform remote desktop app,
available for Windows, Mac OS X , Linux, iOS , and
Android. Its major claim to fame is ease of setup - simply install the
software, then connect one device to another using the onscreen ID
number and password. This basic functionality can be modified in the
app's preferences to give a faster and/or more secure connection.
The
Experience
Love It
Utilizing an Internet server to manage connections, TeamViewer makes
RD connections a snap. No matter if your computer is a headless server
a few feet away or a client's workstation in India, TeamViewer can
establish a connection in seconds with no configuration needed. System
requirements are quite low (the PC version can run on Windows 98 or
later), and I've worked with it on hardware as low-end as my 800 MHz iMac G4 (it won't run on
my G3 Pismo, though).
The Mac version needs OS X 10.4 or newer.
With the latest version (v6.0.9233 at the time of this writing) came
a few updates for the iPad, and one of the most important of these was
the ability to automatically change the host's resolution to fit the
iPad. Previous versions scaled the host's display, resulting in poor
performance and unpleasant graphics. The resolution adjustment makes it
so much easier to work with - and reduces lag at the same time.
Automatic resolution matching improves appearance and reduces lag.
Could be Improved
TeamViewer supports multitouch gestures, but only when the host OS
does as well. For example, two-finger scrolling works fine in Mac
OS X Leopard and (usually) Windows 7, but Windows 2000 is a bit
more fickle. For the iPad, Bluetooth keyboards are also (kind of)
supported, but only for typing - key commands have to be entered
manually via the onscreen keyboard. On a Mac, however, key commands
work as expected (except for Cmd-Q, which quits the app).
Need to Fix
Host-side sound is okay, but I'd prefer to hear what I'm doing on my
iPad rather than on the host - I've used this to help fix errors on
other people's computers, and having them tell me what sound their
computer is making is pretty weak.
Another major issue is the cursor - it's just not implemented well.
It works like a mouse: you put your finger down, move it across the
screen, and the cursor follows. It doesn't stay right underneath your
finger like you'd expect it to do. In short, I consider this a bad
tendency, and it needs to be fixed in a future update.
The Verdict
Despite its little faults, TeamViewer is clearly one of the best
remote desktop apps I've ever used - and the fact that it's free is
just icing on the cake. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who
owns more than one computer. 
Download Links
Austin Leeds is a Mac and iPad user - and a college student in Iowa.
