remote control keyboard and trackpad for mac receiver

Remote Control Keyboard And Trackpad Receiver Install On Your

Tracking is the virtual trackpad with left and right click, scrolling is for scrolling windows horizontally and vertically, and Launch Pad does what its name impliesallows you to launch applications youve added to Launch Pad and switch between open applications.

Getting up from your couch to change the channel on your Mac-based media center is so 1970s.

That means having a remote control that lets you manage the works without a lot of fuss and bother.

If you own an iPhone or iPod touch, youve managed the largest hurdle in controlling your Macs media applicationspaying for the bulk of the remote.

It only remains to add one or more inexpensive remote control applications to your phone or iPod to complete the picture.

I looked at a handful of capable remote control apps available for these devicesR.P.A Techs 3 Air Mouse Pro, Evan Schoenbergs 5 Rowmote Pro, Hoofiens 4 Snatch, and RoboHippos 5 HippoRemote.

Each of them lets you control not only iTunes but the other media applications youre likely to use.

All of them provide you with a virtual trackpad, clicking controls, and keyboard.

Remote Control Keyboard And Trackpad Receiver Install On Your

In most cases these applications work in combination with a server application that you install on your Mac.

Air Mouse Pro, Rowmote Pro, and Snatch all use such server applications.

HippoRemote controls the Mac via OS Xs built-in VNC services.

The server applications are free, so there are no additional charges.

Air Mouse Pros focus is largely on that virtual trackpad and keyboard, through it does offer separate play-control interfaces for operating media applications and navigating a Web browser.

Launch the app and you see a touchpad at the top of the screen, complete with left- and right-click buttons and a typical iPhone keyboard below.

Above this keyboard are buttons for invoking the Control, Option, and Command keys.

Tap the Minimize button to the right of these Modifier buttons and the Media, Web, and Function buttons are revealed.

Rotate the iPhone or iPod touch so that its in landscape orientation and the entire screen becomes a large trackpad.

Regardless of which view youre in, theres very little lag between the time you touch the trackpad or type a key and the Mac responds.

You can adjust the speed for the pointer, trackpad, and scrolling with the server software as well.

Although Rowmote Pro includes a trackpadclicker interface and can produce a keyboard along with modifier keys, it additionally offers a controller interface that emulates Apples hardware remote control, complete with Plus, Minus, Next, Previous, PlayPause, and Menu buttons.

In addition, unlike an Apple Remote, Rowmote wont attempt to control multiple Macs at the same time.

Pairing can be an issue with Apples hardware remote.) Rowmote Pro includes presets for just about every media application you can think of including iTunes, Boxee, Hulu Desktop, iPhoto, Keynote, EyeTV, DVD Player, and Front Row.

Snatch operates in four main modesTracking, Scrolling, Launch Pad, and Keys.

Remote Control Keyboard And Trackpad For Mac Receiver