By: Hillel Fuld

It’s been two weeks since I first unboxed my iPad 3G and it’s been two weeks of a whole lotta fun! This is the first blog post I am attempting to write on the iPad and so far, so good.

Over the past two weeks, I have discovered some pretty amazing apps. Apps that enable me to stream videos of any kind from my desktop to the iPad, which solve the whole Flash and video support issue on the iPad. I have found apps that have turned out to be more addictive than caffeine (haven’t had a coffee yet, this is what popped into my head). I have also found apps that significantly increase productivity, like for example this WordPress app, which saved me the trip upstairs to my office and enabled me to write this post on the iPad.

However, LogMeIn Ignition for iPad stands in a category of its own and I am not just referring to its $30 price tag (full disclosure: the developer so graciously sent it to me for review). I am sure that even if you are not familiar with LogMeIn, you can probably figure out what it does by it’s name. It enables you to log in to any computer remotely.

Remote access is not a new concept, it has been built in to Windows for years, but when you are doing it from an iPad, it is a whole different ball game. The thing is, there are many apps on the iPhone/iPad platform that enables you to do this.

However, what makes this app different than all the other apps that claim to provide the same functionality is that this one actually works, is easy to set up, and will have you amazed within seconds of setup.

LogMeIn is a service available for free with the option to purchase premium accounts with some extra features that I actually highly recommend trying. Once you have an account and the iPad app, you can log in to any computer and fully control that computer within seconds of launching the app.

So here is how it happens. You launch the app and are presented with some useful tips about how to navigate the computer once you are in. This includes pinch and zoom functionality, right and left clicking, dragging objects, and a whole lot more.

Once you log in, you can see the desktop of the main computer and easily scroll around. Here is the thing. It takes some time getting used to since it is somewhat slower than what you are used to with a regular mouse. There are two ways to scroll, by moving the cursor, which is the default and I found to be less effective, and by moving the screen itself. The second option was more responsive and more natural to iPad/iPhone users.

Along the bottom of the app, there are a few options to customize the experience. There is a keyboard button to bring up the keyboard, a zoom option, which was extremely responsive and accurate, a button to press different combinations on the computer such as Ctrl Alt Del, a right/left click option to change the default way the app clicks, a Settings button, and a Close option to end the session.

The right/left click button is obviously for Mac users, but i have to say, although I do use a Mac, this button was confusing to me with no apparent explanation as to what it is, I found the app right clicking when I wanted it to left click and vice versa. It was so strange to me that I actually wrote the developers that there was a bug, only later realizing what that button actually does.

The interface has some more hidden goodies especially when bringing up the keyboard, but to not bore you with the technical details, I will say that this app is a must have for anyone who has ever gotten stuck with no access to their home computer.

LogMeIn for iPad is a well thought out and beautifully designed app with a simple UI and all the features you would ever need in a remote access app. They just released an update as we speak, which supposedly speeds up the whole process, but I personally did not feel like it needed speeding up before. The developers did a great job with this app, and not only am I going to use the app regularly, but it might have replaced apps like Real Racing HD or Weather HD as the app I use to show my friends how awesome the iPad is.

Have you used LogMeIn? What did you think? Please let us know in the comments.