iTap by HLW

It would seem that the idea to create an app for controlling your computer using your iPhone or iPod Touch is a popular one among App Store developers.  Only three months after the App Store launch, there are already no less than 8 apps that do this.  With so much competition for such a specific utility, it’s hard to find one that really stands out against the rest.  Today I’m taking a look at iTap, one such app.

iTap's screen looks very much like a MacBook Pro track pad.

So what makes iTap so special?  Admittedly, it’s the only “track pad” app I’ve tried.  But there’s good reason for that.  You see, iTap is the only track pad app that supports both Windows and Mac operating systems.  This was a major requirement for me, since I spend plenty of time on both sides of the OS wars every day.  With pricing for this type of app ranging from $0.99 – $5.99, iTap hits the sweet spot at a reasonable $1.99.  But does it live up to its promises?

Before you use iTap, you’ll need to download the Windows or Mac client.  This is the piece of software that runs on your computer to allow iTap to control your mouse.  Installation is quick and painless.  On both platforms, the client automatically sets it self to load on system startup.  Some users may want to disable this behavior, which is easy enough to do.  If you’re out in the wild an you’ve forgotten the URL to download the client software, you can just open iTap.  It lists the URL right there on the screen.  Of course, if you use DataCase or Air Sharing, it’s much easier to just store the Windows and Mac client apps on your iPhone.  This way you never have to worry about finding yourself without an internet connection.

When you open iTap, you’re presented with a very simple screen that looks much like the track pad on a MacBook Pro.  You don’t need to see much on your iPhone though because you’re obviously going to be looking at the computer you’re controlling instead.  The virtual track pad shows instructions for moving your finger around and clicking.  Most of it is obvious, but it also highlights not-so-obvious features such as right-click and scrolling functionality.  Don’t worry though — it’s not complicated.  It is designed to behave in the same way as the track pad on a Mac.  Tap to click, drag two fingers to scroll, or hold two fingers and tap with a third to right-click.

iTap offers a straight-forward settings screen.

The configuration options for iTap are pretty straightforward, though getting to them may not be.  For some reason, Apple insists that all apps store their settings in such a way that you have to exit the app and open the Settings app on your phone to find them.  Presumably, the intent by Apple here is to keep a consistent user experience, but I’m not a fan.  In any case, once you get the settings open you’ll see plenty of options.  You can configure pointer speed and acceleration, turn “Tap to Click” on or off, as well as “Two-Finger Scrolling.”  You can also adjust scrolling speed and acceleration.  A minor gripe is that while you’re trying to scroll through the settings, it’s easy to accidentally adjust a slider (e.g. “Pointer Speed”) when you didn’t mean to.  This is no fault of iTap’s developers though, since they’re using the standard Apple-supplied UI elements.  One other minor annoyance is that if you want to adjust any of the settings, such as pointer speed, you must quit iTap, go to Settings, adust the setting, quit Settings, then launch iTap.  If you didn’t get your guesswork just right the first time, you will have to repeat this process.

Let’s talk about performance.  On my Mac (running Leopard) it behaves exactly as you would expect it to.  Scrolling is very smooth and behaves just like the real track pad.  It runs via WiFi, so you might assume there would be a slight delay, but I couldn’t discern any lag.  The glass screen on my iPhone reveals a bit more friction with my finger than the real track pad, but it’s so little that you get used to it quickly.  The story is mildly different on my Vista machine, but it’s still very usable.  I found that moving around the screen was a bit jerky, though not very much.  Again, this is something you quickly forget about.  The only other difference I found was that on my Vista machine I had to adjust the pionter speed, since the mouse moved much faster by default.

While the landscape view of iTap provides an aspect ratio closer to that of a computer monitor, it would be nice to have the option to hold the iPhone or iPod Touch vertically.  I find it much easier to hold the device with one hand in the vertical position.  Fortunately, iTap’s website claims a free upgrade has already been submitted to the App Store that allows this functionality.  In addition, the new version allows for two button hot spots, instead of just one.  Hopefully this update will reach the App Store soon.

There’s not much to dislike about iTap.  It doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles, but then again, it doesn’t need them.  The only thing I find myself occasionally wishing for is a pop up keyboard.  Really though, you can do most things without that.  iTap is great for making PowerPoint presentations, or for just leaning back on the couch with your laptop on the coffee table.  There are endless uses for this app, and it is definitely a recommended buy.