back to article Splashtop Remote Desktop

I’ve tried a number of ‘remote desktop’ apps that allow you to control a Mac or a PC from an iPhone or iPad, but their performance over a wireless network has always been too sluggish for them to be of much practical use. Splashtop Set-up is effectively automatic on the iDevice Not surprisingly, then, I was quite sceptical …

COMMENTS

This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    love this on Android

    Got this with my Transformer. Upgraded to HD version of app. Brilliant, moved me off of vnc it is so good. Fast, colours look good, etc.

  2. Citizen Kaned

    how well does this work on a PC?

    works on mac, fine. but obviously PC is a different beast (well, with windoze on)

    1. Ian Yates
      Thumb Up

      Works well

      But if you've changed your DPI, it will be useless (as I have done on my HTPC). Refuses to let you see the whole host screen.

      Works equally well for streaming audio to a second set of speakers, assuming you can't hear both at the same time because of the half-second lag. (i.e., upstairs and downstairs)

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Meh

      A bit rubbish.....

      It doesn't run properly as a service on Windows. So you need to log on in order for it to start in the system tray. So you either need to leave the pc logged on, or use WOL and RDP onto your PC, though the latter doesn't work as RDP clashes with splashtop.

      A pretty good tool marred by bad implementation. Certainly not 90%.

  3. scottyman
    Big Brother

    And the other direction?

    The number of times lost/puzzled family members have asked me to help setup a new email account or check some settings on their iDevice is quite high - I'd love for there to be away to remotely control an iDevice from my PC! (Or another iDevice)

  4. Bob H
    Thumb Up

    LogMeIn

    Perhaps LogMeIn might drop their price for their mobile app now?

  5. lm69a
    Holmes

    But what about security....

    It is indeed a great app, and I was using it up until a day ago.

    However, the makers give *no* details regarding security: no mention of end-to-end SSL encryption or any other security mechanisms (and an avoidance of questions on the subject); no mention of how your data is stored or used (i.e. Google account details); no details of how the remote client connects; no details of how the password you provide to login is transmitted...

    All of which makes this app unusable in my eyes. So I've had to fork out the £20 for LogMeIn ignition.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    LOVEFiLM streaming sucks

    "the inability to watch films in Flash format on my iPad using my LoveFilm account is a never-ending annoyance"

    I wouldn't worry too much about that. The streaming quality on LOVEFiLM is so crap that it's actually preferable to just go without.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    more detail please !

    Lovely, but ... what about connecting from outside your network ?

    Security rather than performance would be a concern. As I'm pretty sure you couldn't create an SSH tunnel from a locked down ipad.

  8. Andy Blackburn

    LogMeIn?

    But how does it compare to logmein? I'm awaiting the arrival of my apple fondleslab and have so far used logmein to access the home computer on the move on my laptop. However, the point of the iPad is to not have to lug my laptop when travelling... Would you still stick with Splashtop over the likes of LogMeIn who charge 8.99 for "Ignition" for iPad?

    1. cliff 2

      LogMeIn - not any more

      I have used LogMeIn - and a few other remote access apps too - but none of them match the speed and responsiveness of Splashtop.

      That's why I focused on the Flash streaming in the review - to emphasis the sheer speed of the app.

  9. nick47

    There's no app for that.

    Every time Flash is mentioned in relation to iOS it's about how Lovefilm doesn't work. Can't these guys make an app which allows people to view content in the same way YouTube content can be viewed?

    1. Citizen Kaned

      you could argue

      why should one company not allow a massively used web platform.

      they say flash is insecure but i'd take flash any day over that virus apple call itunes. i would also say that i bet flash is a damn site more reliable than apple products. we have had a 50% failure rate on iphones here! that is much worse than ANY bit of hardware ive ever come across.

      1. Scott 2
        Devil

        One word...

        ...Profit.

        Flash = free games. Free games <> Apple profit.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    2X Client

    Is what I'm using on my iPad - free and works a treat!!

  11. Richard Barnes

    Doesn't work with Linux.......

    ........unlike Teamviewer.

  12. Dr Wheetos
    Unhappy

    Prefer Pocket Cloud...

    on an Android 3 tablet to control a home server as PC doesn't force you to have a user logged into the server/PC to access it but Splashtop remote does (or at least the free version does).

  13. Mike Kamermans

    Please also list the apps you already ruled out

    If you can update your article to also mention which apps this "beats", it would make the verdict more useful.

  14. Rattus Rattus

    Bit of a cheek

    to charge a whole five bucks for this when (on Android, at least) there are at least half a dozen other remote desktop apps that are decent performance and free. I'm currently quite satisfied with AndroidVNC which didn't cost me a cent. Plus it will talk to my Linux boxen, which Splashtop won't.

  15. MGman

    LogMeIn

    In my opinion, the usability of LogmeIn is better.

    LogMeIn is much simpler to set-up for use from outside your network as you don't need to know about ports and router setup.

    And LogMeIn seems much more secure.

    However on your own network Spalshtop is much quicker (as I assume LogMeIn has to go through LogMeIn's servers) and pretty usable for streaming video etc.

    I use LogMeIn to adminsiter machines and Splashtop around the house.

  16. simmondp
    Alert

    and its how secure?

    So lets get clear, you rate this as 90%, but this is an app that will tunnel through your home firewall and let you connect to your computers inside your home. And yet there is no mention of "security" anywhere in this article.

    More scarily, there in no mention of how secure this app is on the the iStore web page, or even the developers own web page.

    Going into the support forum it seem there is little / no security by default.

    And you still want to install this app??

    Leads me to question how you can do a serious review of a product, and not ask the obvious questions, and how it should ever get a 90% rating [Ahh I forgot, features, features and more features], and we wonder why the bad guys have it so easy.......

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    not very good

    have you tried to access your PC from another location over the internet? ssssssslow! Didn't expect it to fly, but expected much better response time. Tested it from a number of locations. All had good WiFi signal and speed.

    ...and, why would I use it on my network, surely, it's easier to walk up to you computer.

    As someone said above, no details about the security aspect of the connection etc. so, I've spent £1.19, but the app is not staying on my PC/iPhone.

This topic is closed for new posts.

Other stories you might like