Tech Features

If you're missing some of the features afforded by your desktop computer when you boot up your iPad, then Splashtop have got a trio of apps just for you.

By Leo Stiles

Sometime being a tablet owner can be a shallow experience and on occasion we have wondered why they can’t do more stuff. Well, it appears that app developer Splashtop has been thinking the same thing and has come up with a trio of apps that allow your tablet device to take a walk on the PC side.

Splashtop: Remote Desktop

This app is a mini marvel because it does what it says it will do, it does it well and most importantly, it does it with the bare minimum of technical know-how.

Simply put, the Splashtop Remote Desktop app allows you to stream your laptop or desktop screen to your tablet and gives you complete touchscreen control over your computers.

All you have to do to set it up is download the server software for your Windows PC or Mac and choose a security password and you are good to go. When you start the app on your tablet, the app does all the work for you by automatically finding any computer on the network that is running the server software. Then you just select your computer and enter the password you chose on the host computer and almost magically, your PCs desktop will appear on your tablet.

Performance is everything for an app like this and even on an iPad 1, the app performed admirably, with very little slowdown and the touchscreen responding to a desktop environment perfectly. The only real caveat is that you will need to be running an 802.11n network for it to perform at its best

For the more adventurous tablet users out there, the Splashtop remote can also be configured to access your computers over the internet giving you access to all your files, wherever you are. It even works over 3G. Best of all is that you don’t even have to configure anything, with the only thing required being a valid Gmail account.

That said, performance can range from excellent in a low traffic environments to plain awful, but that it works at all is something of a revelation and makes owning a tablet much more essential than it has ever been in the past.

Splashtop Cam

This is one for the more security conscious and tech-savvy parents among you.

This app is free and does exactly what you expect by connecting remotely to your computer and broadcasting that machine’s webcam image back to your tablet. Again, the results were impressive with smooth video common on high speed networks but we did encounter issues on 802.11 b and g networks. Webcams with audio are also supported and the overall picture quality is dependent on the quality of your webcam, the speed of the host computer and the overall quality of the network.

Remote access over the internet is possible on the Splashtop Cam app too, but it does come with its own set of issues such as lag and deteriorating image quality. These issues are not too prevalent but buyers should be aware that the app can’t surmount weak machines and poor networks.

Splashtop XDisplay

The last app that we tested was this simple productivity application. Working on the same principles are the last two apps, XDisplay allows you to extend the desktop display of your PC or Mac to you iPad or Android tablet.

Suffice to say the app worked perfectly and we were soon pushing files onto our iPads and for smaller screens the addition of the extra space offered by the iPad-made multi-window work a lot easier.

One niggle and it is minor is the fact that this app has a ten minute connection window which disconnects your devices if you don’t pony up €3.99 (iPad price) for the in-app purchase of the unlimited time option. We have no issue with paying for a quality app but we’d rather that this had been more upfront.

Splashtop do have some a few more interesting apps such as the Interactive Whiteboard app that turns any computer/projector combo into the latest in teaching tools and some enterprise apps that take advantage of the iPad but for most regular users, the above trio should be enough to give your tablet a whole new lease of life.

Verdict

These apps are just what you want from a tablet application developer and they bring a degree of utility to tablets that some would say they is sorely missing. Add in the fact that they work well, are easy to use and relatively cheap and there isn’t much more we can say except go grab them.