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You may have been scouring the app store and come across various different remote computing applications, such as Mocha VNC (VNC = Virtual Network Computing) and Remote Desktop. These applications allow you to remotely control a computer (generally on a local network) using your iPhone or iPod Touch. I’ve tried many of these applications and Jaadu VNC is by far the best, giving you an almost- real-time display and features not available in cheaper, inferior products. That factor is also accompanied by the whopping price of A $29.99.

When you open the application, you are greeted by a relatively simple interface, which allows you to choose from three different methods of connection. The “Options” button at the top-right simply shows information about the app and gives you a toggle switch for device auto-discovery.

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If you have auto-discovery enabled and are connected to a WLAN with computers connected to the same network, you will see those devices appear in a list. Alternatively, you can manually enter a device’s local address (e.g. vnc://192.168.1.1) in the “Manual” tab or, by way of the “Internet” tab, you can connect to a computer running Jugaari (the developer)’s free server.
 
As a prerequisite, you need to have a VNC server enabled on the device you wish to connect to. On a Mac, this is achieved by enabling “Screen Sharing”, while PC’s require a 3rd-party application, such as RealVNC or TightVNC.
 
The first time you connect to a device, you have to go through the setup process, which includes entering the password and, when setting a device up manually, entering the device’s local address. Once you’ve entered the relevant information, simply tap the “Connect” button, and you’re set.

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By default, when the device is in portrait mode, the display will be zoomed to fill the iPhone’s screen. You can zoom in and out by using that all-too-familiar “Pinch Zoom” feature. You control the computer by using the iPhone as a pseudo-trackpad and moving the cursor around with your finger. It doesn’t matter where you place your finger, the cursor will move in the direction your finger moves. Clicking is achieved simply by tapping anywhere on the screen, while right- clicking calls for a two-fingered tap. You can also scroll by placing two fingers on the screen and moving them in the direction you want to scroll. It is also possible to drag by double-tapping, then moving the cursor around.

In the settings menu (signified by a cog in the top-left), you can enable “Touchscreen Mode”. This mode changes the whole control system, so that you can simply tap on an object and the cursor will instantly move to that place and simulate a click, as would occur when using a tablet or similar device. You also have the option to invert the cursor’s movement. “Cursor Momentum” allows the cursor to slow to a standstill after removing your finger from the device’s screen, as opposed to abruptly stopping.

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The button in the top-middle brings down a soft keyboard that is used for the operator keys (Mac: Command, Option, etc. Windows: Ctrl, Alt, etc.), allowing you to use shortcuts and such. The button at the far right of the icon bar at the top brings up the familiar keyboard and a small text box, so you can easily see what you are typing. Alternatively, you can tap on the text box to bring up a semi- transparent text box that fills half the screen. This feature allows you to type a large amount of text before inserting it into the computer.

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The final button, other than the close button, brings up controls. These controls include the function keys, a virtual numpad and other keys you would find on a standard keyboard, including the arrow keys. On a Mac, you can use the media controls with Front Row and iTunes in place of the Apple Remote.
 
Despite its price, Jaadu VNC is a great buy. In rating this a 10/10, I may seem like I’m trying to justify my purchase, but that is definitely not the case. This app is extremely well built and works exactly how I want it to. I must admit, I was quite adamant to spend such a large sum of money on an iPhone application, but I searched around and found that Jugaari have another application available, called “Touchpad Elite”, and at A$1.19, I think you might find this a far more acceptably priced application. Touchpad Elite will give you an idea as to what Jaadu VNC is like. It’s a sort of little brother to Jaadu and only has the trackpad capabilities, whereas Jaadu will display the screen currently showing on the connected device. To be honest, it’s only worth forking out the entirity of a $30 iTunes Gift Card on this application if you’re as lazy as myself and like to do your everyday computing from the comfort of your own bed, with the computer across the room. However, this is an amazingly well-crafted application with more features than you can poke a stick at, so it’s definitely worth considering.

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