用iPad遠程操控電腦 是魔鬼還是天使
This feat was made possible by a new iPad app I've been testing called Parallels Access, released Tuesday, which can remotely control either a Mac or a Windows PC. It isn't the only iPad app that can remotely control computers, but of the ones I've tested, it does the best job of treating the computer programs it accesses as if they were iPad apps, without sacrificing functionality. The programs continue to reside on the computer.
讓這一創舉變成可能的是一款名爲“Parallels Access”的新款iPad應用，最近我一直在測試它。這款應用於8月末發佈，它可讓你遠程操控Mac或Windows PC電腦。它並非唯一一款可遠程操控電腦的iPad應用，但在我測試過的應用中，它在像處理iPad應用一樣順暢處理它訪問的電腦程序、同時又不犧牲功能這方面是表現最好的。那些程序都繼續保留在電腦中。Parallels, a company based in Seattle that's best known for its namesake program that allows Macs to run Windows, calls this 'appifying' your computer programs. What it means by this is that it adapts them to the iPad's familiar interface, including app launching, touch gestures, scrolling and text selection.
它的開發商是西雅圖Parallels公司，該公司最知名的產品是可使Mac電腦運行Windows程序的Parallels軟件。該公司稱Parallels Access就是將你的電腦程序“蘋果化”，意思就是使那些程序適應iPad的常見界面，包括應用的啓動、觸控手勢、頁面的滾動和文本選擇等。
Unlike many others, it doesn't force you to constantly try and emulate the precise mouse pointer for which most of these computer programs were designed. It runs them like iPad apps, in full screen, and at the iPad's resolution, yet preserving full functionality and the ability to switch among open apps and windows on the computer. It works over both Wi-Fi and cellular connections.
與其他許多應用不同，它不會強迫你不斷去嘗試和模擬爲大多數電腦程序設計的精確的鼠標指針。它像運行iPad應用一樣運行這些電腦程序，用全屏並且以iPad的分辨率將它們顯示出來，同時它還保留了完整的功能和在打開的電腦程序和窗口之間進行切換的功能。它在無線網絡和蜂窩網絡的環境下均能運行。Despite some drawbacks, Parallels Access is a very good way to make your iPad more of a productivity tool and to integrate it with your computer, without forcing you to use your iPad the same way you would use a computer.
儘管它存在一些缺陷，Parallels Access仍不失爲一個加強iPad的實用功能並使它與電腦融合的非常好的方法，而且它也不會強迫你以使用電腦的方式去使用你的iPad。The two biggest drawbacks involve price and file transfers. Access costs a hefty $80 per computer per year, though there's a two-week free trial for every Mac you use. For Windows machines, it's free for 90 days because compatibility with Windows is still in the beta phase (though it worked quite well in my tests).
Parallels Access最大的兩個缺點是價格和文件傳輸問題。它的價格高達每臺電腦每年80美元，不過每臺Mac電腦能有兩週的免費試用期。至於Windows電腦，由於與Windows的兼容功能仍處於測試階段（儘管它在我的測試中運行得非常不錯），它的試用期達90天。Also, the app cannot yet directly move files from computers to your iPad, though the company is working on it. For now, to get a file from the computer to the iPad, you have to remotely call up the computer's email program and send it to yourself on the iPad, or upload it via a file-sharing service like Dropbox on the computer, and then retrieve it from the Dropbox or similar app on the iPad.
此外，儘管Parallels公司正在努力解決這個問題，但該應用現在還無法直接將文件從電腦傳到你的iPad上。就眼下而言，若要把文件從電腦傳到iPad上，你得遠程調用電腦上的郵件程序，然後在iPad上把它發給你自己，或者在電腦上通過Dropbox這樣的文件共享應用將文件上傳，然後在iPad上用Dropbox或類似的應用檢索文件。Another limitation: It doesn't work on Android. The company says it is considering an Android tablet version of Access, but has no immediate plans to release one.
它的另一個侷限是，現在它還無法在安卓系統(Android)上運行。Parallels公司稱它正在考慮開發安卓系統平板電腦版的Parallels Access，但暫時還沒有發佈該應用的計劃。Here's how it works. First, you download the free app to your iPad, then you install a small companion utility on your Mac or PC, which runs in the background. Then you fire up the Access iPad app and you see a home screen with all of the available computers. Just click on one and the iPad takes it over. The link is established over a secure, encrypted connection, and you can opt to lock the computer and blank out its screen during the remote-control session. You can also opt to require the use of the computer's login credentials.
現在就介紹一下Parallels Access的運行方式。首先，將免費應用下載到iPad上，然後在你的Mac或PC電腦上安裝一個在後臺運行的配對小程序。接下來，啓動iPad上的Parallels Access後，你就會看到一個顯示所有可連接電腦的主屏界面，點擊選定一臺電腦，你就可以通過iPad來操控它了。你可通過安全的加密連接方式來連接電腦，也可選擇在遠程操控期間鎖定電腦，讓屏幕顯示爲空白。你還可選擇要求使用電腦的登錄憑證。Once you have the computer on your iPad screen, you don't see its normal desktop, with tiny icons generally meant for a mouse pointer. Instead, you see a Launcher screen in which your Mac or PC apps are presented like large, iPad app icons. You can add or remove app icons.
開始在iPad屏幕上操控電腦時，你看到的並非平常那種電腦桌面：桌面上排列着一個個通常用鼠標指針來點擊的小圖標。在你看到的主界面上，你的Mac或PC電腦上的應用顯示成了像iPad應用那樣的大圖標。你可以添加或刪除應用的圖標。You tap an icon and the program -- like iPhoto or Microsoft Excel -- appears in full-screen view on the iPad. I tested a wide variety of Mac and PC apps and all worked fine via Access, with almost no lag, even over a 4G cellular connection.
點擊圖標後，對應的程序（比如iPhoto或Microsoft Excel）就會在iPad上全屏顯示。我測試了大量不同的Mac和PC應用，它們通過Parallels Access都運行得挺順暢，幾乎沒有滯後，在4G網絡環境下也是如此。Access places a small toolbar at the edge of the screen, which can be moved or hidden. This can take you back to the Launcher, bring up a bar at the bottom that lets you switch among apps and windows, and brings up the iPad keyboard, which is augmented with special keys the iPad lacks, but computers use. These include Escape, Tab, function keys, Control, Alt, arrow keys and the Window key on PCs or the Command key on Macs.
Parallels Access在屏幕邊緣設計了一列小工具欄，它可被移動或隱藏。它可以讓你跳轉至主界面，調出屏幕底部一列可讓你在各應用和窗口間進行切換的圖標，還可調出iPad虛擬鍵盤，它增加了iPad缺乏、但普通電腦採用的特殊鍵，包括Escape、Tab、各功能鍵、Control、Alt和方向鍵，以及PC上的Windows鍵或Mac上的Command鍵。The toolbar can bring up settings, which allow you to go into mouse mode, just like a PC; reveal the whole desktop; and display the special keys without the whole keyboard.
這個工具欄可讓你進行設置：你可以選擇進入鼠標模式，就像在PC電腦上一樣；可以顯示整個桌面；可以顯示特定的鍵而不是整個鍵盤。I was able hear the sound on the iPad from audio and video files, and select various menu items and icons. Access invisibly modifies things like small toolbar icons so that, even if you tap on them imprecisely, they still activate. I even dictated text using the iPad into a program on the remote Windows PC.
我能在iPad上聽到音頻和視頻文件的聲音，還能選擇不同的菜單項和圖標。Parallels Access還悄悄修改了工具欄小圖標這樣的東西，以便讓你在即使沒點準圖標時仍能啓動程序。我甚至還通過iPad向遠程Windows PC上的一個程序口述輸入了文本。Parallels Access really shines when typing. I was able to type easily on the remote programs.
Parallels Access在打字方面確實有出衆表現，我能在遠程程序上輕鬆地打字。When you select text, it brings up the standard iPad selection handles and the standard black iPad control bar for things like copying and pasting, just as if you were in a standard iPad app. For more precise selection, it brings up the standard iPad magnifying glass feature, and if held down a bit longer, it even places a mouse pointer inside the magnifier. I used this to resize a photo in a Word document. (This particular task takes some practice.)
如果你想選擇文本，它會調出標準的iPad文本選擇抓取點，以及控制複製和粘貼操作的標準的iPad黑色控制列，它就和使用標準的iPad應用一樣。若想進行更精確的選擇，它還會調出標準的iPad放大鏡功能，長按文本後，放大鏡內甚至還會出現一個鼠標指針。我利用它在一個Word文檔中調整了一幅圖片的大小。（此任務需稍加練習。）The program includes many touch gestures and taps. A two-finger tap acts like clicking the right button on a mouse and other simple gestures allow things like dragging and dropping.
該程序包括許多觸控手勢和點擊手勢。例如，雙手指點擊相當於點擊鼠標的右鍵，其他一些簡單的手勢可以實現拖放這樣的操作。For Windows 8, Parallels Access places both traditional programs and the Start-screen touch apps together in the Launcher, so you don't have to switch modes. In my tests, it worked well with both kinds of programs. On the Mac, if you are using Parallels Desktop to run Windows programs side by side with Mac programs, both types of programs show up on the Launcher and can be used remotely.
針對Windows 8系統，Parallels Access將傳統程序和開始屏幕上的觸控程序一同安排在主界面上，這樣一來你就不必切換模式。在我的測試中，它在這兩種程序中均運行得不錯。在Mac電腦上，如果你想在Mac程序之外再用Parallels Desktop來運行Windows程序，這兩種程序都會在主界面上顯示，而且均可遠程使用。I ran into zero glitches when controlling a Mac remotely. And even though the Windows access is in beta, I ran into only two glitches: a single instance of jittery scrolling in a photo program on the remote PC, and a single instance of lack of audio from the iPad when playing one of many videos I tested remotely.
在遠程操控Mac電腦時，我沒有遇到任何故障。即使是在使用測試版的Windows程序的過程中，我也只遇到了兩個故障：一個是遠程PC上的一個圖片程序在滾動時出現抖動；另一個是在播放我遠程測試的衆多視頻時，iPad上有一個音頻沒有聲音。If you're willing to pay the money, Parallels Access is an excellent way to make remotely controlling a Mac or PC from an iPad a frustration-free experience.
總之，如果你願意花錢的話，Parallels Access是你順心地通過iPad遠程操控Mac或PC電腦的絕佳方式。
