TeamViewer - App Review

 

If you’re expecting to be able to sit at your desk with your iPad (having thrown away your PC keyboard and mouse, prepare to be disappointed. On the other hand, if you sometimes forget a file or require a piece of information from your PC then, TeamViewer is absolutely brilliant. Two recent uses of TeamViewer (both when being hundreds of miles, from my PC): I was convinced that a file I needed should have been in my Dropbox. I just accessed my remote PC and found the file on my Desktop (apart from both beginning on' D' and having seven letters, not much else in common). It was then simple to use TeamViewer to move the file from the PC Desktop to Dropbox. Hey presto, the file was now available on my iPad. Another example was that video from a security camera was not showing on the iPad. A remote visit to the PC showed that the software had crashed. It was a cinch to reboot it remotely using TeamViewer.... saved me from having to go back and investigate.

Now for the ACIDS test:

Aesthetics
There are icons to choose whether you I want to control your PC with a mouse or a keyboard, or the function keys. The issue is that you can (not surprisingly really) only use one at a time. The super easy task on a PC of opening an application is somewhat more complicated with TeamViewer. First you need to navigate to the application. You need to stroll to it first. This is a bit counterintuitive as the scrolling is the ’moving' of the virtual PC screen… what you are actually doing is moving the pointer, which is not in the same place as your finger on the iPad screen. Once the pointer is over the icon, you can tap the iPad screen anywhere and the application will then open. It's a bit disconcerting at first but once you are used to it, it's not a problem.

Cost
There is a free version which is up to the job, so you can experiment at no cost.

Indispensability
If you never forget things, you can clearly do without the App. On the other hand, if you're like the rest of us, this App is heaven sent

Dependability
Your PC must be switched on for the App to be able to function. Conversely, you can switch your PC off using TeamViewer.

Security
Beware that leaving your iPad lying around would also give prying eyes access to your PC.


ACIDS Test Rating:

If you never forget a file...

To find out how the ACIDS Test works, click here.

 

You can get TeamViewer here and support for the App here.