RDM+ Remote Desktop for Mac OS and Windows – iPhone App Review

RDM+ Remote Desktop for Mac OS and Windows ($19.99)

Version – 2.7.31

REVIEW – “Have complete control of your computer from anywhere!”

It is amazing to me how many things that can be done from an iPhone.  However, just because something has been done does not necessarily mean  that it has been done well.  If you have struggledwith the sometimes difficult setup and security features of other VNC/Remote Desktop clients, then “RDM+ Remote Desktop for Mac OS and Windows” may be the solution that you’ve been looking for!

When you open up this app for the first time you will see a computer already installed for you to test the functionality of RDM+.  You won’t be able to modify anything, but you can quickly make a remote connection and view some information on how to use different features of the app.  Once you are ready to setup your computers for use the first thing you will need to do is head to their website http://rdmplus .com and download the free “RDM Desktop” software.  One of the great things about this software is that there is both a Windows and a Macversion of the software as well as a wide variety of other mobile devices including the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Once you have downloaded and installed the “RDM Desktop” and set up your computer with a username and password, your computer will be assigned a number.  Now no matter where your computer is connected, as long as it is on the internet you will be able to access it by using that computer number.  Setting up a new computer is as simple as pressing the “+” button in the upper right corner of the “Computer List” screen and then entering in some basic information such as the computer’s “number” that you just found out and the account and password for that computer.

This username and password system allows you to set up multiple users with different levels of permissions.  For example, if you want someone else to be able to view files and/or run certain programs, but you don’t want them changing anything you can give them permission to do what they need to without giving them permission to actually make changes to files and settings.

Besides the “Computer List” there are two other “main screens” that can be accessed from the menu at the bottom.  The “About” screen gives you some basic information and tips on using RDM+, and the “Settings” screen has mouse control options and an “Image Quality” selector.  I personally would recommend that you always set it to the “Quick” setting because I have never had any problems seeing what I needed to be able see and it is much more responsive if you are using a slow network.

Where this app really shines is in the actually control interface.  Instead of just touching the screen where you want to “click” you actually drag around a visible “mouse” icon until it is where you want and then either left click by just tapping the screen anywhere, or pressing and holding anywhere to bring up a menu of more advanced options such as right click, drag and drop, etc…

This app also includes several ways to access various keyboard options.  You can use Apple’s standard keyboard with a few extra keys on a sliding bar above it for typing in information or two other screens that are full of different shortcuts/special keys that you might need to use.  I was very impressed with this feature in particular.

While it is very nice to be able to quickly access your work computer from a mobile phone, there are also times when you may have a computer with internet available and you would like to access your home computer with the ability to type with a full keyboard. If this is you, RDM+ also offers “Web Access” which will literally allow you to access your computer through any web browser anywhere in the world!  This feature may seem costly at $29.99 for a lifetime license or $4.95 a month, but if you are constantly on the move this feature could be priceless.

To sum it all up, there are probably other ways that you could get similar features to RDM+ without spending as much money.  But while that may be true, I do not think you will find anything else that is this easy to setup and that works this flawlessly.  I had absolutely no problems whatsoever figuring out how to do all kinds of things that I could not have imagined doing from my mobile, or even just remotely from another computer.  If your line of work has you constantly moving, and especially if you don’t have access to set up a direct VNC connection at your work, I would highly recommend RDM+ for iPhone or iPod Touch!

- David H.

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Developer – SHAPE Services

URL: http://www.rdmplus.com/

DEVELOPERS NOTES

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© 2009, Davidh. All rights reserved.