Apple Remote Desktop 2.2 Now Available

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

Now available via Software Update:
The Apple Remote Desktop version 2.2 Client Update delivers improved reliability and compatibility for Apple Remote Desktop 2 and is recommended for all users of Apple Remote Desktop.

For detailed information on this Update, please visit this website: http://www.info.apple.com/kbnum/n300760

NOTE: Apple Remote Desktop version 2.2 Clients can only be managed by Apple Remote Desktop version 2.2 Admin software. Please ensure that you have upgraded your Apple Remote Desktop Admin software to version 2.2 before upgrading your clients.

[miketcool]

Wonder what the mondo changes are for 2.2, Tiger seems to still be the big topic for today.....

[obeygiant]

does anyone really use this software?

[swissmann]

I bet the people at Apple are going crazy trying to get all the pieces in place for Tiger - this being one of them.

[bobleaux]

VNC works fine and is cross platform. Does Apple Remote Desktop really provide any advantage over VNC?

[Sir Al]

VNC works fine and is cross platform. Does Apple Remote Desktop really provide any advantage over VNC?Yes, unlike VNC, it allows management of the whole computer, software, accounts, settings, and much more. It's a very handy utility for admins and such.

[yellow]

I will be using it shortly, it's got very nice Tivoli-like qualities that are good for enterprise solutions. Not ever Mac user is at home! :)

ARD 2.2 simply allows it to work in Tiger. ARD 2.1 crashed because it's kext didn't work with Tiger. I don't think there's anything special about it other then that.

[datamandan]

Just upgraded to Tiger, on my PowerBook G4 17".

Next: test existing software for compatibility.

Apple's "Remote Desktop" 1.4.2 does NOT work

Call to Apple Tech Support reveals it WILL not work; must upgrade to 2.x.

Bummer.

:(

[bobleaux]

I will be using it shortly, it's got very nice Tivoli-like qualities that are good for enterprise solutions. Not ever Mac user is at home! :)

I currently manage about 25 Macs and 50 PCs on an Active Directory based network. This could certainly make Mac management easier. I must look into this some more.

[ja0912]

Don't forget that the .Mac changes went into effect this morning. Busy day. :D

[gorkonapple]

Does this come with Tiger??? Does one need to buy this? It would be nice to have a RDC like client for the Mac, although I use and ABUSE VNC! :D Installing Tiger on my Powerbook right now! :D Also, is there a ARD client for Windows? Probably not, but it's almost 3 hours til the big party at the store and I am already giddy! May not be much for me to do there but just geek amongst the Apple brethren, but I am contemplating getting iWork. Any specific reason for using it over Office? May try and snag a copy of the Office disks from work as I kind of us both my personal powerbook and my work issued thinkpad for work. Use the powerbook for web page testing.

[Steven1621]

does anyone really use this software?

My college has to buy a new site license in order for it to work with Tiger. A minor $500 expense, but a hassle all the same.

[ZildjianKX]

Just tried out 2.2, so far it seems the same... don't have time with it to fiddle too much. I like how it can control non upgraded Panther clients.

[Object-X]

Wonder what the mondo changes are for 2.2, Tiger seems to still be the big topic for today.....

The big change is that Remote Desktop doesn't work with Tiger and this update fixes that little problem. I was just about to get mad, but thought, they still have until Friday to fix it. Good job Apple!
:)

[Aeolius]

Can you actually use this version to remotely monitor/control another Mac, via internet access (trying to control an iMac in SC from my PowerMac in NC)? 1.0 was supposed to do this, but I could never get it to work.

[dotdotdot]

This is the new APPLE UPDATE DAY!

I'm serious - even though Tiger came out today, there were so many other updates... Remote Desktop, Quicktime, .Mac... even things we didn't think would get updated!

[ZildjianKX]

Can you actually use this version to remotely monitor/control another Mac, via internet access (trying to control an iMac in SC from my PowerMac in NC)? 1.0 was supposed to do this, but I could never get it to work.

Works for me. I'm controlling a mac 20 miles away, version 2.0 worked too.

[varmit]

Did they take out the VNC part, or just that if you update your remote desktop on the clients, you have to update the controller.

[macorama]

does anyone really use this software?
Anyone who has to manage computers that aren't all in the same room as they are should be using it. VNC is a good alternative, and it's free, but ARD still offers the best experience, so that it really is like you're at the remote computer.

[outZider]

VNC works fine and is cross platform. Does Apple Remote Desktop really provide any advantage over VNC?
Yes. For one, it's better optimized. Two, it doesn't suck. Screen sharing alone is faster than the standard VNC protocol, and thank god for that, because VNC sucks hard.

Also, along with screen sharing comes a complete management interface. I like command lines a lot, but ARD makes things so easy it hurts.

[ZildjianKX]

Did they take out the VNC part, or just that if you update your remote desktop on the clients, you have to update the controller.

The VNC part is still there, but it looks like you have to update the controller.

[yellow]

For those that have it:

There's a client installed on each Mac, and then there's an Admin client one uses to do all the voodoo that one wants to do? Is that correct?

[blackcrayon]

ARD 2.0 was the buggiest piece of software apple ever released commercially (that i used :), 2.1 was the second worst ;)

2.2 fixes some of the more infuriating bugs still left in 2.1 (admin application forgetting its settings across launches, broken search feature, often unreliable screen sharing).. If it also fixes the massive unexpected quits and other odd behavior, it will be a really great piece of software (and worth the $500 per admin seat :)

[yellow]

(and worth the $500 per admin seat :)

Ahh.. so with multiple (2) admins we need to spend $1000?

[varmit]

For those that have it:

There's a client installed on each Mac, and then there's an Admin client one uses to do all the voodoo that one wants to do? Is that correct?
Yes, at least every Mac has Apple Remote Desktop 1.0 I believe on them. 2.0 didn't come though the System Update an needed to be manually installed to get the improvements. Now to install 2.2, you have to manually upgrade clients as well as the controller software. The controller software can be found on Apples website, and I think goes for $299 or $499, something very expensive if you just want it to control one or two other macs. Its mainly for large installs of 10+ macs. You can use VNC software like Chicken of the VNC to connect to the ARD, but you need go download the update for ARD for the client to get the VNC funtionality, which is what I was asking about earlier.

[blackcrayon]

Ahh.. so with multiple (2) admins we need to spend $1000?

Unfortunately yes, to adhere to their licensing scheme, for every administrator you install it's another $500 (unless you're using the 10 client limited version, then it's $300).

Obviously WAY too expensive for home use. They need to make an Apple Remote Desktop Express that just includes a couple of features for home users like screen sharing and maybe file copying...

[Chobit]

Hm.. only new thing I can seem to find is that it works under Tiger. 2.1 didn't on my 2 computers, so this is a welcome update.

[blackcrayon]

Hm.. only new thing I can seem to find is that it works under Tiger. 2.1 didn't on my 2 computers, so this is a welcome update.

And several bug fixes:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300762

[Durendal]

Okay, I've updated it on several machines, and EVERY SINGLE ONE prompts me for a serial number! In addition to that, my 2.0 serial doesn't work! What the hell? I shouldn't have to buy (or even obtain) a new serial for a point update! Add to that 2.0 installation is hit or miss. Most of the time, I have to keep reinstalling it and hope it'll launch properly.

[840quadra]

I wish apple would make it less expensive or FREE to use this feature, Windows 2000 and XP let you use RDP for FREE. granted you can't use advanced Terminal server features, and when you RDP into an XP box it loggs off whoever is on it, I think Apple should do something like this.

I hate that I have to use VNC, to connect to my 2 OS X boxes without monitors. I like VNC, but I would REALLY like to use an apple native program. They should make a simple stripped "FREE" version of Apple Remote Desktop.

Just my opinion.

[javiercr]

Unfortunately yes, to adhere to their licensing scheme, for every administrator you install it's another $500 (unless you're using the 10 client limited version, then it's $300).

Obviously WAY too expensive for home use. They need to make an Apple Remote Desktop Express that just includes a couple of features for home users like screen sharing and maybe file copying...


this should be free or very very cheap, it's free in windows :eek: , you can even get the remote control for windows to be run from a mac for free (although it's not very good)

[Rower_CPU]

ARD is much more than just a VNC tool like RDC on Windows. It's a remote management tool that allows you to monitor large groups of machines, pull reports on system hardware/software, push files to clients, run scripts, etc.

If you're a lab manager with enough machines and/or machines in remote locations you need and you PAY for software like this, regardless of platform. If you're a casual user that just needs remote connection to your home machine now and then, ARD is overkill. There are plenty of open source VNC clients that fit the bill, so I'm sure Apple doesn't see it as a huge need right now.

[Terminalz]

Where I work at we haven’t upgraded to Tiger yet (probably won’t for while) but for those who wonder what ARD does here is an overview.

The cool stuff
It allows you to remote control users screens; interact by sharing either your screen or someone else’s screen with other users screens (great if your giving a presentation or teaching). You can empty trash bins, restart, shutdown, and wake multiple machines in one step. At a glance you can tell whose machine is on, who is logged in, and what application is active in their Finder.

You drop a CD-ROM in your machine or take something off your drive and push copy it to any number of machines you can manage. You can update their ARD client software, and (most cool!) build software install packages in Package Maker (available on the developers website) and push Apple updates or do fresh installs of any OS X application on multiple machines. You can also do hardware and software detailed reporting, nice for da-boss, they like that stuff.

The stuff that needs work.
Unfortunately ARD is heavily dependant on Multicast and there is no unicast option available in 2.1. I say unfortunately because at least where I work its $100,000 in firmware upgrades on our Foundry core switches to enable this feature talk about retarded licensing! (Believe it or not it’s still less than Cisco’s – even worse) so that’s not happening for a bit. This means you can’t wake machines remotely in other subnets other than your ARD server is in (if you have a plight like mine). To offset some of the pain though you can just not let your Mac’s go to sleep, being UNIX is the engine for OS X this is no big deal UNIX prefers this anyways. From time to time using ARD can cause your Mac to freeze up completely and doesn’t always play nice, but that is an occasional issue.

How it compares to other stuff out there
For $600.00 to get unlimited licenses, very sweet indeed. ARD remote control is a little better than VNC in performance but depending on which VNC distribution you use the difference varies. Microsoft’s Terminal Services or Remote Desktop sharing has the best performance when taking over someone else’s desktop (less latency, faster redraw, and you can set level and type of encryption) but Citrix who is behind their product has done a very good job of making that product work.

If you were to compare ARD with what Microsoft’s solution is it would be a cross between Microsoft’s Remote Desktop and SMS server, SMS adds many more features and is more scalable than ARD but is also much much more expensive on the enterprise too.

Well time to go refill the morning cup-o-joe.

[yellow]

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it.

It's actually pretty common to not be able to use WakeOnLan for devices outside of your subnet. Most routers don't pass the "magic packet" between subnets. Hence, the mind-bogglingly expensive price for a router upgrade.

But the rest of the info is really very helpful. Thanks!