Iphone controls your computer as well as your life

REMOTE ACCESS programmes that use a web-based interface to control a distant computer are nothing new, but Logmein's latest addition to its stable of software allows users to take control of a Mac or Windows PC using Apple's world-conquering Iphone.

Controlling a computer with a 19-inch monitor using a piddling three-inch screen might sound like a bit of a nightmare, but Apple's brilliant multi-touch interface, and some clever compromises from Logmein, make Ignition not only intuitive and fun to play with, but actually pretty useful.

No, you're not going to want to use the Iphone's mini keyboard to write the Great British Novel from afar, and touching up your holiday snaps in Photoshop using the touch-screen would lead to a world of pain, but emailing a document you forgot to bring to an important meeting to yourself, resending a failed FTP transfer, or checking your Skype logs, are all a piece of cake.

Get yourself connected
The first thing you'll need to do is set up a Logmein account. It's free and takes about two minutes. At this stage, you'll be able to take control of any computer that has the same software installed - and for which you have a prerequisite user name and password - by using a snappy web-based GUI. But the fun really starts after a quick visit to the Itunes App Store.

The writing's on the wall
Logmein Ignition costs £17.99 and is only available as a direct download through Itunes. The installation process is seamless and firing up the application for the first time runs you through a simple configuration process that will have you footling with your main computer from afar in seconds.

A handy hints screen - which can be switched off - reminds you of the various gestures and strokes you'll need to  become a Logmein pro. But whipping around on the Iphone's screen, pinching and spreading your fingers to zoom in and out of screen areas, swiping with two fingers to scroll within a window, and tapping the screen to mouse click, all soon become second nature.

And you needn't be concerned if your set-up has multiple monitors. Give your device a quick shake and it will switch between screens, impressing the girls at the same time. Extremely geeky masochists can show multiple screens simultaneously to drive the girls away again.

But if your mind's neglected
The version 1.1.85 software we tested was pretty stable, with only a very occasional dropped connection spoiling the party. Screen refresh rates are, as you might expect, pretty slow, as you will discover if you run any kind of video on your host machine. But you can speed things up by reducing the resolution or colour depth of your home system, which can be done remotely, either by using the computer's control panel or from within Ignition's own system menus.

There are a few quibbles about the user interface, the biggest of which is the way you switch between the two scrolling methods that enable you to navigate around a lot of screen real estate.

The first method gives you control of the mouse pointer itself, and smoothly scrolls the screen whenever you reach the edge of the Iphone's window. This works best for navigating within a single application that is maximised on the computer's screen.

The second method keeps the mouse pointer static in the centre of the smaller screen and allows you to flick around by moving the contents of the screen itself. It sounds disconcerting but works surprisingly well, especially if you have multiple applications and windows open and want to drag and drop folders or files.

The problem isn't that either of these methods doesn't work well. It's that you have to go into a settings menu in order to change from one method to the other. We'd hope to see future iterations of this software with a single button solution in the GUI to switch between scrolling methods and we've suggested this to the application's developers.

Stumble you might fall
So everything works wonderfully when you are sitting in your office three feet away from your WiFi hub, but what happens once you venture out into the big bad world? Amazingly, the application copes admirably well with both the usual free WiFi hotspots and even the (t)rusty old 3G network. Screen redraw times do suffer, and there's obviously a bit more lag, but the software is perfectly capable of carrying out the kind of emergency diddling for which it was obviously intended.

Our advice would be to get yourself connected with Logmein and make sure all of your Luddite friends have the sharing software installed as well. That way, next time they phone you up crying because they can't get their printer to work, you'll be able to take control of the situation from the comfort of your barstool, toilet seat, or bed.

All in all, Logmein is a very useful tool and, despite its relatively high cost for an Iphone App, it delivers great value for money even if it only gets you out of just one sticky situation.

Oh, and did we mention, it works on the Ipod Touch as well? µ

The Good
It works seamlessly most of the time, and the subscription is free

The Bad
Dropped connections can be a pain, but that could be the Iphone

The Ugly
Switching between scrolling methods should be simplified

Bartender's Verdict
Nine out of Ten