I found it unintuitive initially, but I grew to prefer it over the other apps once I got the hang of it, since it puts the navigation tools you need right in the center of the display, which is where you’re most likely to need them. Wise PocketCloud Pro conveniently puts a navigation wheel at the center of the display.The PocketCloud interface is built around a central navigation wheel that expands when you tap it to provide an array of control options. In my tests, this unfailingly made my Windows and Mac hosts immediately discoverable over both Wi-Fi and mobile connections, earning PocketCloud the distinction of being by far the simplest of the three apps to configure. The easiest way to use Wyse is to log in with a Gmail account from both the mobile app and the desktop host. It’s worth noting, though, that LogMeIn costs twice as much as the next-most-expensive app I looked at, Wyse PocketCloud Pro, which has more-robust business-grade encryption and sound support. As long as the PC is running, LogMeIn Ignition can find it over an Internet or LAN connection, wake it from sleep if needed, and drive it remotely. It’s also one of the easier apps to configure on the host side of the relationship: You simply sign up, download the app, and log in with your LogMeIn account credentials to get going. LogMeIn Ignition is easy to configure and simple to use.Of the apps in this roundup, LogMeIn Ignition offers the clearest interface for Android devices, with large, obvious buttons across the bottom of the screen that permit simple, trouble-free control. Ignition lets you control Windows PCs and Macs using either the paid LogMeIn Pro app or LogMeIn Free on your desktop machine. The priciest app in my remote desktop roundup is LogMeIn Ignition, which you can buy from the Android Market for $30. I put each of these apps through its paces over both local Wi-Fi and mobile broadband connections, driving my home PC through browser sessions, editing in Microsoft Word, and IMing with colleagues. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been testing three top-rated VNC remote desktop apps for Android: LogMeIn Ignition ($30), PhoneMyPC ($10), and Wyse PocketCloud Pro ($15). Now that I have an Android Honeycomb tablet in my go bag, however, I’ve decided to give smartphone remote-control apps another chance to prove themselves in daily use. Ultimately the smartphone is just a bad device for controlling bigger devices (or at least, for controlling their desktop interfaces). Most of the apps I’ve used do work as promised but the small convenience that these apps offer hardly justifies all of the swiping back and forth, zooming in and out, and repeated screen tapping required to get a desired action to take effect on the remote system. The problem is clear: Smartphone screens are too small to be useful for navigating around and controlling a desktop screen. In the past year or so, I’ve tried a few smartphone VNC apps, but all of them did a woefully inadequate job of controlling my desktop computer. Remote desktop control, while not something I use every day, has become an important part of my work life. Over the years, I’ve tried my share of free and paid apps that let me control my home or work PC from my laptop. I’ve been hooked on remote desktop software for years–ever since I left some time-sensitive business files on my home PC and exited the country for a week.
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