Enter the Mac

RDM+ by SHAPE Services for IPhone and IPad is simply our favorite remote desktop app to get to our Macs. There’s a ‘Lite’ version and a $9.99 version performance optimized version on Apple’s app store.   This was first released in 2007 and over the years has gotten better and better.  It offers support for both Mac and PC and works on the IPhone 4/s, Touch, 3gs, and the IPad.

There are two major features that sets this app apart from the other remote or vnc  apps on the app store. The first is the ease of use.  The second, is the ability to remote in from anywhere your IPhone or IPad has a decent Internet connection.  Most of RDM+’s competitors only offer connection from within your own network or are way too complicated to setup.  RDM+ on the other hand is very easy to setup, more on this below.

RDM+ offers:

✓ Internet connection is not necessary when connecting within local network
✓ Automatic computer discovery within local network
✓ Direct mouse control: left click, right click, double click, drag and drop, scrolling. Tap and double tap work as click and double click. Pinch to zoom in/zoom out.
✓ Support of standard Windows and Mac hotkeys and ability to create custom hotkeys combinations for various operations with your computer
✓ Unique data compression algorithms decreasing data traffic while keeping fast application performance on 3G / Edge / GPRS connection
✓ Control panel for multimedia features
✓ Direct text input and easy text editing
✓ Shutdown, Log off, Restart commands
✓ Multiple displays support
✓ Landscape/Portrait mode
✓ Free technical support by SHAPE Services team
✓ Free updates

The UI of the app is very simple.  Your finger controls the mouse in very precise motions.  If you slide your finger around the screen, the virtual mouse moves in corresponding directions and when you tap somewhere the host mouse actually clicks on that same spot (1 finger for left click or 2 fingers for right).  While it is correct in that is direct control of the mouse, it doesn’t actually move the mouse of the host computer when you swipe your finger around.  This means that menus don’t pop up on some icons where they normally would when you hover over them.  Still, this solution is superior to the way other apps work where you have to tap on the screen to bring up menus without the direct control of the mouse.  

The UI offers just about everything you could need to control your computer and even some shortcuts to speed things up like cut, paste, search files. Even fifty miles away in a Starbucks the UI remains responsive to the taps resulting in fluid control of the host machine. If you’ve tried some of the free apps you understand the importance of this. RDM+ claims it use a “Unique data compression algorithms decreasing data traffic while keeping fast application performance on 3G / Edge / GPRS connection.” to achieve dynamic image quality and operation speed balance.

Setting up RDM

Setting RDM+ up is simple. You get the desktop client here, setup a login account. Copy down or memorize the number. Setup your IPhone/IPad app with that number and login and you’re set. See screenshots below. We were suprised by how easy it was to setup. We did not even need to adjust any firewall settings.

Screenshots

Overall, this app is definetely the best app out there for remote desktop. Until another company can improve upon the user interface and performance even more we will continue to recommend RDM+.