Apple Remote Desktop 2?

[jsw]

Take a look at Timbuktu.

Thanks! I have, and I'll probably buy it. I was just hoping for a cheap Apple version, but Timbuktu is a great product.

 

[ClimbingTheLog]

VNC is really starting to show its age. Even on a LAN remote X is wayyyyy faster :/

Eh? You're comparing apples to oranges. VNC is a remote frame buffer. X is a remote GUI toolkit. You're not sending pictures with X, you're sending commands. All the windowing happens locally. VNC will never be faster than X, it serves a different purpose. Comparing VNC with Apple Remote Desktop is fair. Comparing X with RDF is closer to fair. Comparing NeXT's remote postscript - oh that's just gonna make me cry.

You really ought to get a current version of VNC. With OSXVNC and Chicken of the VNC I regularly get 3-5 frames per second over Airport (b) between two G3's. And they don't even support tightvnc encoding yet. On a hundred megabit with a couple fast macs you should be able to get as close to 30 fps as the latency allows.

 

[GregA]

Eh? You're comparing apples to oranges. VNC is a remote frame buffer. X is a remote GUI toolkit. You're not sending pictures with X, you're sending commands. All the windowing happens locally. VNC will never be faster than X, it serves a different purpose. Comparing VNC with Apple Remote Desktop is fair. Comparing X with RDF is closer to fair. Comparing NeXT's remote postscript - oh that's just gonna make me cry.

Isn't that just the point though?

Who cares if we're comparing apple's to oranges technology wise... if 2 different technologies both allow us to take over a remote desktop, and one is alot faster, it's worth comparing.

If Apple stays with their own technology, they could make it very fast - best case scenario using something based on their own (NeXT's) remote postscript. If they go VNC they are embracing open source etc, at the cost of speed... aren't they?

 

[Palad1]

Isn't that just the point though?

That was my point, all I am asking for is some kind of remote admin tool using a GUI.

Of course with remote X I won't be able to take over someone else's desktop and show him/her what to do, but the vnc latency is so annoying (not mentionning the redraw problems, especially when there is a swing app somewhere).

But, hey.. VNC2 ! sounds better than VNC, allright? 🙄

Seriously, does anyone know which features VNC2 does offer?

 

[macnews]

I am looking at getting Apple Remote Desktop and was hoping some of the discussions on this thread would help make my descision, but now I have some more questions.

What does VNC do that ARD doesn't, and all these other programs mentioned? Are these mainly for mac-pc or pc-mac controlling?

All I want to do is have an easy way to manage my small lab of 30 macs. Our building configuration has part of the lab on one floor and a smaller portion on an different floor. I am hoping to avoid running between the two floors to fix problems when they arise. Is ARD the best for this? Including custom configurations, software installs, etc.

 

[Doctor Q]

I am looking at getting Apple Remote Desktop and was hoping some of the discussions on this thread would help make my descision, but now I have some more questions.

What does VNC do that ARD doesn't, and all these other programs mentioned? Are these mainly for mac-pc or pc-mac controlling?

All I want to do is have an easy way to manage my small lab of 30 macs. Our building configuration has part of the lab on one floor and a smaller portion on an different floor. I am hoping to avoid running between the two floors to fix problems when they arise. Is ARD the best for this? Including custom configurations, software installs, etc.

In our lab (34 iMacs, teacher Power Mac, and a server), we haven't tried any software other than Apple Remote Desktop, but it does what we need, including letting the teacher take over a student's screen, letting a teacher broadcast her screen to students, putting a message box on student's screens, checking the status of students without having to observe screens one by one, checking software configurations, and generating various reports. We haven't used the features to install or update software from afar. In any case, this is a lot more than just remote control of another Mac's screen.

 

[JLL]

Yes, I use it often. It's a great way to access my PC at work, but not a great way to replace Virtual PC.

I also have a PC at home and running with 100BaseT, it's still slow enough that you would not even consider it as a Virtual PC replacement.

There must be something very wrong with your setup (or you're running VPC on a 1,100 DP G5 cluster 😉). MS RDC is very fast, and even over a 512K DSL you only see a small lag.

 

[cesar]

some features that I would like

- Cross-plataform Support for Apple Remote Desktop, that will be great!! manage Unix, linux, windows and macs from a mac!! that will be cool!! include feature of ximian redcarpert and Microsoft SMS. Install a small and free client on the UNix, linux and windows boxes, so ARD can talk with them...

- for iChat: Multi-user videoconferencing. That will be great. Maybe right now in Apple's ToDo list.

- I would like iChat to add T.120 protocol support, talks with netmeeting, sgimeeting, SUNforum and so on... a free or paid patch to iChat. Like iChatPro or RemoteDesktop Express

- Also, a new feature to the Macos X server: create a iChat-connect-server. I know that the Rendezvous buddy-list, but I think It will be more pro if a small office can have a iChat-connect server (like netmeeting directory).