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slider · Sep 30, 2003, 06:36 PM

I have heard many people mention that instead of using VPC just get a PC and Network it. What exactly are you taking about? How do I do this. My PowerBook will be here hopefully by Friday and I want to be able to do this. It's a small out-of-the-way Shuttle PC and has GigaEthernet, I was thinking that this would be very useful. Can anyone point me to how to set this up?

Thanks

mittewil · Sep 30, 2003, 06:43 PM

There is the VNC software(freeware) that let's you remotely control a Windows system and many others also. Search versiontracker for a vnc client for Mac OS X. The web site for VNC is http://www.realvnc.com

danbrew · Sep 30, 2003, 07:25 PM

If you're using a Windows XP box, consider the Microsoft Remote Desktop Client - it's a free download and essentially creates a terminal server session that allows you to connect to the Windows desktop. I use it every day and it's fantastic.

:->

slider · Sep 30, 2003, 08:16 PM

Originally posted by danbrew:
If you're using a Windows XP box, consider the Microsoft Remote Desktop Client - it's a free download and essentially creates a terminal server session that allows you to connect to the Windows desktop. I use it every day and it's fantastic.

:->

Sweet, how do I set it up on my mac?

yg17 · Sep 30, 2003, 08:20 PM

You have to enable remote desktop on the PC, then download the software for OSX. Type in the IP of the PC to connect to and there ya go

nagromme · Sep 30, 2003, 10:16 PM

Do you have to have the more expensive XP Pro?

Freeflyer · Oct 1, 2003, 07:53 AM

I used to use vnc and found it very, very slow. then I loaded xp pro and used remote desktop, which is much, much faster.

Eventually I'll get an old mac to use as the server and then the pc will not be needed.

I've heard that xp pro is available on bittorrent, but that would be very illegal you know.

J.

galarneau · Oct 1, 2003, 09:09 AM

I think what you need to decide is what sort of remote work you'll be doing on the PC. I usually use Remote Desktop, but when you do that, you log-off the current user and the monitor shows the log-in screen. Since I'm trying to control my home theater PC to play movies, I then have to use VNC because that keeps the display showing on the remote PC. Get it?

chabig · Oct 1, 2003, 09:27 AM

Can more than one Mac be connected to XP at the same time using Remote Desktop?

Chris

Eug · Oct 1, 2003, 09:39 AM

I believe XP Pro is required for MS Remote Desktop, but I've never tried it with XP Home.

I don't think more than one PC can be connected at a time.

chabig · Oct 1, 2003, 09:49 AM

Thanks.

Chris

Jeff-Flowers · Oct 1, 2003, 11:11 AM

XP Pro is required for Remote Desktop, XP Home doesn't include support for it. Also, I believe the XP Pro limits you to one connection and that no else can be logged in locally while you are logged in remotely. (Check this out, I might be remembering incorrectly.)

sanity assassin · Oct 1, 2003, 11:22 AM

I'd be interested in something like this too. I tried VNC, but it was too slow. What osrt of speeds are we lookign at with MS Remote desktop?

Does Apple's remote desktop software do the same thing for PCs too?

slider · Oct 1, 2003, 07:31 PM

Originally posted by nagromme:
Do you have to have the more expensive XP Pro?

In fact I do

Freeflyer · Oct 2, 2003, 09:14 AM

Originally posted by sanity assassin:
I'd be interested in something like this too. I tried VNC, but it was too slow. What osrt of speeds are we lookign at with MS Remote desktop?

Speeds are dependent on how you set everything up. If you set the screen displays so that it shows your pc background, dynamic window resizing etc, you'll see slower performance. Turning these off (in the login panel options) speeds things up.

I use this setup on my 15" 1Ghz powerbook over airport to my old Dell 333Mhz PC. The only option I have turned off is the background screen on the pc. Everything looks like an xp box does on its own monitor. I have no problem with several open windows. The machine slows down when there's a lot going on, but that's because it's a dog slow old pc. I'm sure a modern pc would be much faster.

If you turn off all the graphics options on the login, it looks like windows 3.1, which is quite amusing.

If you're going over a wired network, that would probably speed things up a bit too.

If you're thinking about it, and not sure if you want to pay for xp, you might look for a download of it (try suprnova.org or other bittorrent site) to see if it would work for you. This is obviously not legal

If it does then you must pay microsoft for the previlege, which I'm sure you will

I in no way condone the use of pirated software......

Hope this helps.

J.

kentuckyfried · Oct 2, 2003, 10:33 AM

what is the remote computer you're trying to connect to is a windows 2000 box? Also, this computer is sitting at work, and can only be connected to through using a VPN client. Is this idea going to fly in that case?

terrancew_hod · Oct 2, 2003, 11:54 AM

Chances are you may need to use terminal services. I doubt it will be available on a Win2k pro box though. Luckily I have XP at work, so I can log in from my mac from home and do work. This has saved me from having to go into the office at odd hours and can monitor things from home. Also I use it to log into my machine downstairs to run pc programs that aren't available for the mac (PCAnywhere to a client for example); also it helped when my monitor died last week--I could log on and shut it down properly until I bought a new monitor.

If you have a windows system admin you can probably ask them if setting it up on a win2k box is possible.

Also the speeds aren't that bad, even over a wireless connection.

Terrance

sanity assassin · Oct 2, 2003, 12:15 PM

Originally posted by Freeflyer:
Speeds are dependent on how you set everything up. If you set the screen displays so that it shows your pc background, dynamic window resizing etc, you'll see slower performance. Turning these off (in the login panel options) speeds things up.

Thanks muchly for all the help and info. What I'd like to try out is being able to watch divx movies from my PC, on the MAC. I've got a Pismo which sometimes drops frames on high quality movies, but the XP laptop does them just fine. I could watch them straight off the XP machine, but it means hooking it up to another monitor to get good qualoty visuals.

I'll give this a try, and download MSs remote desktop software. If anything, it should be fun. I've got Win 2000 Pro, and Xp Pro, so should be bale to work with it.

Thanks again.

terrancew_hod · Oct 2, 2003, 12:26 PM

Originally posted by sanity assassin:
Thanks muchly for all the help and info. What I'd like to try out is being able to watch divx movies from my PC, on the MAC.

This won't be a workable solution using remote desktop. Your frames will still be choppy and you won't be able to hear the sound (only the basic windows sounds (alerts, etc.) will he heard.

The divx for mac is not really optimized compared to windows (unless you're looking at buy the pro version). And you'll need a speedy processor to boot (I would say an 800MHz G4 would be minimum for really good frame rates but I could be wrong).

Terrance