Several years ago, Apple’s answer to this demand was a hardware remote control that was bundled with Apple laptops and iMacs. It worked in conjunction with iTunes and Apple’s own media center software called Front Row.
Several years later, they followed up with iPhone apps that controlled iTunes and Keynote. Each had remote control functions, but they also had features specialized for those applications such as playlist selection in iTunes and slide previews in Keynote. For these two applications, their respective remotes are the premier remotes.
Apple did leave a hole though, as other applications were not controllable with the Apple Remote and many of their own computers did not have the infrared sensor required to pick up the signals from the Remote. This is where Rowmote steps in to fill that hole.
Rowmote emulates Apple’s hardware remote control device on the iPhone or iPod Touch. Beyond just replicating button presses, it can also emulate a button hold. This is important because holding down a button can have a different function than pressing the same button once.
Rowmote’s developers are constantly adding new features and updates to their app. Rowmote now supports many other media applications such as EyeTV, Boxee, and Plex and has buttons configured expressly for them. It also replicates your Mac’s dock to allow you to select the application you want to control.
Additionally, it has a touchpad mode with a keyboard so that you can fully control your Mac—Rowmote only works with Macs and Apple TVs.
The touchpad supports two-finger scrolling and right-clicking that works just as you would expect it to work on an Apple laptop. The developers have just added three and four finger gestures that would replicate the functions of Apple’s Magic Trackpad.
If Apple approves this version, it will be available by the time you read this article.
In practical application, Rowmote is very responsive and smooth. Working over Wi-Fi, you don’t even have to be in sight of the computer you want to control. From time to time it does have difficulty reconnecting to a computer, but manual intervention always resolves the problem.
Its current version is very stable and bug-free, which is very important for people who depend on their remote controls, such as those who are immobile or just lazy. But seriously, this is a must-have app to use with a media center, kiosk, or server computer.
Rowmote Pro costs $4.99 and a non-Pro version is available for $0.99.
