Free Mac Remote Desktop?

Rameses · 22 Dec 2009 at 18:59

Brother-In-Law has an iMac, which he uses along with his two girls. They are getting there with regards to using OS X.

Is there any 'free' Desktop-to-Desktop options out there?

Cheers.

TriedandTested · 22 Dec 2009 at 19:50

LogMeIn

Cybertronic · 22 Dec 2009 at 20:13

You could try iChat which includes screen sharing?

feriso · 22 Dec 2009 at 20:34

Cybertronic said:
You could try iChat which includes screen sharing?

K1LLSW1TCH · 23 Dec 2009 at 14:48

Not sure if it's what you are after but I use TeamViewer now and again and that seems to work okay for me, it's also free.

TeamViewer.

geekyEd · 23 Dec 2009 at 14:54

NickK · 23 Dec 2009 at 19:19

Also MS do a free Remote Desktop for accessing PC desktops on their website too.

But all hail VNC

iMacMart · 29 Dec 2010 at 15:11

I have the windows remote desktop app installed on my Macbook Pro and once I'm logged into one of our work servers from home it runs like a crap??

Anyone noticed this? Or is there better out there?

thewanted · 29 Dec 2010 at 15:37

iMacMart said:
I have the windows remote desktop app installed on my Macbook Pro and once I'm logged into one of our work servers from home it runs like a crap??

Anyone noticed this? Or is there better out there?

I've not experienced poo performance, but I find that RDP v2.1 for Mac crashes a lot, and more often than not I have to force quit it. Not found anything better unfortunately

memyselfandi · 29 Dec 2010 at 15:50

WeOwnTheSky said:
LogMeIn

I've been using the free version of this remotely access my systems for ages with no issues.

In fact I've been using it to control my Mac from a net book whist at my parents over Christmas.

It's a pity that their iPad software is a bit to expensive to justify.

Universal · 29 Dec 2010 at 16:52

Another LogMeIn user here, I have been using it for a while. As said, the iPhone/iPad versions are pricey though.

Supertaff · 29 Dec 2010 at 17:02

I look after a large group of PC's for friends and family and have used log me in for about 2 years now to do it.

Mix of Mac's and different flavours of Windows, no problems at all using the free version.

I can take control via my desktops (Win 7 and Mac OSX), my iPad and also my iPhone.

Wouldn't be without it.

Not used any of the other ones mentioned above as LogMeIn does at present everything I need.

Taff

cheef · 29 Dec 2010 at 17:50

OS X has VNC built into it. Enable screen sharing (Sys Prefs > Sharing > Screen Sharing) on the machine you wish to control.

From the other machine, just type vnc://<ip_address> into Safari and it'll load over the internet (or local network if you have more than one machine on the same LAN).

You may need some port forwarding trickery on the router, mind, so you could consider this solution a little more advanced than the simplicity of LogMeIn.

I use LMI for 5 or 6 machines, works flawlessly, even have the universal iPhone/iPad app. May seem pricey, but it's just one of those apps that are so well developed they're worth their weight in gold and you'd wonder how you ever did without.

Ironically, LME is on sale in the app store until January 4th. It's currently £12 and opposed to £18.

Turbo-G · 30 Dec 2010 at 00:55

I use teamviewer to look after my parents iMac, pretty simple to use and has a free iPhone app too.

GeForce · 30 Dec 2010 at 01:07

K1LLSW1TCH said:
Not sure if it's what you are after but I use TeamViewer now and again and that seems to work okay for me, it's also free.

TeamViewer.

Great piece of software, can recommend this too

memyselfandi · 30 Dec 2010 at 09:27

Hmmm ... As it was reduced I bit the bullet and purchased the iPad client. Not bad once you get used to how to control the mouse remotely.