Native VNC (remote Mac/PC control) for the iPhone: now usable

VNC on the iPhone is a thing of beauty, allowing you to view the screen of and control your Mac or PC. Unfortunately, solutions up to this point have been clunky: Web-based monstrosities that respond poorly even on a fast WiFi connection or native applications that are error-prone when attempting to scroll around the screen or perform any worthwhile control. Now VNSea, a native iPhone VNC client extant for some time, has matured to the point where it is usable.

The change in functionality that affords this new-found usability seems insignificant: "double-tapping on the system status bar will now switch back and forth between the normal active mode and the view-only mode where you can scroll with a single finger (but cannot click or type)." However, after you've accidentally tapped the "send" button on an incomplete instant message or accidentally closed a window for the tenth time, the value of an easily accessible, one-finger navigable interface becomes clear.

VNSea can be setup via the following steps:

1. Download, install and configure a VNC Server for your Mac or Windows PC
2. Get your iPhone ready for unofficial native apps (jailbreak) if you haven't already.
3. In Installer.app, find VNSea in the "Network" category and install it.
4. Launch VNSea and tap the " " button on the "VNC Servers" screen.
5. Enter any name for the session, then enter the IP address and password you configured for your Mac or PC VNC Server, then tap "Save."
6. Back on the "VNC Servers" screen, tap the session name you just created and you should be automatically connected.

Using the client takes some practice, but remember that tapping the top of the screen (near where your iPHone displays the current time) will toggle between interactive and pure scrolling mode. When you're in scrolling mode, move around with one finger and pinch-zoom to expand or contract the image. When you're in interactive mode, tap once to click on items and use two fingers to scroll.

Feedback? info@iphoneatlas.com.